CE Certification for Pressure Equipment — PED

What is the PED Directive

Directive 2014/68/EU (PED – Pressure Equipment Directive) is the European regulation that establishes the essential safety requirements for the design, manufacture, and certification of pressure equipment.

This directive replaced the previous Directive 97/23/EC and was transposed in Italy by Legislative Decree No. 26 of February 15, 2016. 26. Its application has been mandatory since July 19, 2016.

Scope of the PED

The PED Directive applies to pressure equipment with a maximum allowable pressure (PS) greater than 0.5 bar, subject to specific exclusions provided for by the regulation.

The scope includes:

  • Pressure vessels
  • Industrial piping
  • Safety accessories
  • Pressure accessories
  • Assemblies (skids, assembled plants)

Equipment may be placed on the market or put into service as individual units or as integrated systems.

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PED classification of pressure equipment

For PED certification, equipment is classified into categories I to IV, based on the risk level.

Classification parameters

Type of fluid:

  • Group 1: dangerous fluids
  • Group 2: non-dangerous fluids

Potential energy:

  • PS × V (vessels)
  • PS × DN (piping)

Where: PS = maximum pressure (bar) — V = volume (liters) — DN = nominal diameter (mm).

Assemblies are classified according to the highest category of the equipment they contain.

SEP (Sound Engineering Practice) equipment

Some equipment falls under the SEP (Sound Engineering Practice) category. These:

  • Do not require CE PED marking
  • Must be designed according to sound engineering practices
  • Must include instructions for use
  • Must bear identification markings

PED harmonized standards

To demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the PED Directive, European harmonized standards can be applied, which provide a presumption of conformity. Among the main ones:

  • EN 13445 – Unfired pressure vessels
  • EN 13480 – Metallic industrial piping
  • EN 12952 – Water-tube boilers and auxiliary installations
  • EN 12953 – Shell boilers
  • EN ISO 4126 – Safety devices for protection against excessive pressure
  • EN ISO 15649 – Petroleum and natural gas industries – Piping
  • EN ISO 9606 – Qualification testing of welders
  • EN ISO 15614 – Specification and qualification of welding procedures
  • EN 10204 – Metallic products – Types of inspection documents
  • EN ISO 9712 – Non-destructive testing – Qualification and certification of NDT personnel

The application of these standards facilitates the PED certification and CE marking process.

Why the PED Directive is important

The PED ensures that pressure equipment is:

  • Safe for operators and the environment
  • Compliant with European standards
  • Freely marketable within the EU market