A supplier who has certified a device for ATEX and IECEx has, by most of the world’s standards, finished the certification conversation. Then they quote into Kazakhstan — Tengiz, Kashagan, Karachaganak, three of the largest hydrocarbon developments on earth — and discover a third system: TR CU 012/2011, the Eurasian Economic Union’s technical regulation “On safety of equipment for work in explosive environments,” enforced through EAC Ex certification. ATEX has no legal standing in the EAEU. IECEx has no direct legal standing either. Equipment placed on the Kazakh market for explosive atmospheres requires the EAC Ex mark, full stop.
The good news, which almost nobody writes down: TR CU 012 is built on the same IEC 60079 standard series that underpins ATEX and IECEx, so a device that already holds IECEx certification is technically compliant already — what remains is a conformity-assessment process, not a re-engineering project. This guide maps the two systems onto each other, describes the EAC Ex pathway, and covers what the three mega-project operators accept in practice.
The two systems side by side
ATEX 2014/34/EU is an EU directive: manufacturers obtain an EU-Type Examination Certificate from a European notified body, affix CE and Ex marking, and self-declare conformity for lower categories. TR CU 012/2011 is an EAEU technical regulation covering Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan: equipment requires certification by an accredited EAEU certification body, testing in accredited EAEU laboratories (or acceptance of test evidence under defined conditions), and the EAC Ex mark with a certificate registered in the EAEU public registry.
The technical requirements converge because both derive from IEC 60079: gas groups (IIA/IIB/IIC), temperature classes (T1–T6), protection concepts (intrinsic safety ‘i’, flameproof ‘d’, and the rest) and zone philosophy translate almost one-to-one. The differences are procedural and they bite: EAC Ex requires an EAEU-resident applicant (a local representative or importer holds the certificate), certificates are issued for defined validity periods with surveillance, marking and documentation must be in Russian (and Kazakh for Kazakhstan where required), and Ex-equipment operating manuals must meet EAEU content rules. A device supplier cannot mail-order this from abroad; the pathway runs through an accredited body and a local applicant-of-record.
The EAC Ex pathway for a device already holding IECEx
Step one — appoint the applicant. An EAEU-resident entity (your Kazakh distributor, a certification agency’s holding structure, or your own local company) becomes the certificate applicant and legal responsible party. Choose deliberately: the applicant controls the certificate, and changing applicants later means re-certification. Manufacturers with long-term Kazakhstan ambitions should structure the applicant relationship contractually so the certificate follows the brand, not the distributor.
Step two — dossier submission to an accredited body. The IECEx CoC and ExTR test reports form the technical spine. Accredited EAEU bodies can take IEC test evidence into account, which typically reduces — not eliminates — in-lab testing. Expect sample submission for verification testing of intrinsic-safety parameters and battery safety.
Step three — testing, review, registration. The body issues the EAC Ex certificate, registered and publicly verifiable in the EAEU registry. Budget realistically: for a smartphone-class intrinsically safe device, certification costs run in the $15,000–40,000 range per model family and four to eight months elapsed, with Russian-language manual preparation inside that window. Serial-production certificates (rather than batch) are worth the extra surveillance obligations for any supplier planning fleet sales.
Step four — marking and import. EAC Ex mark on device and packaging, Russian documentation in the box, certificate number quoted on commercial documents. Kazakh customs checks the registry at import for Ex-classified goods.
What the operators actually accept
Here is the nuance that determines commercial strategy. The three mega-projects — Tengizchevroil (Chevron-led), NCOC at Kashagan, KPO at Karachaganak — are international joint ventures whose engineering authorities specify to international standards internally (their EX registers speak IECEx fluently) but whose legal compliance obligation is EAEU law. In practice: equipment permanently installed or placed on the market in Kazakhstan needs EAC Ex; international operators have limited flexibility for temporary imports and contractor-owned equipment, and their technical teams will happily evaluate an IECEx-certified device — but a purchase order for devices to be owned and operated in-country will, at contract review, hit the TR CU 012 requirement. Suppliers who show up with IECEx plus a credible EAC Ex plan (certification in progress, local applicant appointed) stay in the evaluation; suppliers who show up with ATEX alone and no plan exit it.
This is also the competitive filter that shapes the market: the premium German brands maintain TR CU certificates, most budget suppliers do not, and the certification cost is exactly the kind of investment that separates serious mid-market entrants from opportunistic ones. Kazakhstan rewards the supplier willing to do the paperwork. Our position: the Infinity-EX Zone 1/21 range holds ATEX and IECEx today, and we work with EAEU-accredited partners on EAC Ex scope for fleet opportunities — if you are specifying for a Kazakh project, talk to us about certification timelines against your procurement schedule.
Device duty in Kazakhstan is its own specification
Two environmental notes that surprise Gulf- and Europe-calibrated suppliers. First, the cold: Tengiz and Karachaganak see winter ambients below −30°C, and Kashagan’s artificial islands in the frozen north Caspian are among the coldest offshore workplaces anywhere — the certified minimum ambient temperature on the Ex certificate is scrutinised in the direction opposite to the Gulf. Batteries, displays and touch operation with gloves at −25°C are real evaluation criteria. Second, the sour service: Tengiz and Kashagan crude carry extreme H2S concentrations, which drives the density of gas-classified zones, the strictness of personal-device policy, and the operational premium on reliable communication — a lone-worker alarm that fails in an H2S area is not an inconvenience. Full market context is on our ATEX devices for Kazakhstan page.
Summary: ATEX vs TR CU 012 for device suppliers
Legal basis: EU directive vs EAEU technical regulation. Mark: CE + Ex vs EAC Ex. Certifying body: EU notified body vs accredited EAEU body. Applicant: manufacturer (any domicile) vs EAEU-resident entity. Language: any EU language vs Russian (plus local). Registry: notified-body records vs public EAEU registry checked at customs. Technical basis: IEC 60079 series — both. Practical bridge: IECEx CoC and test reports reduce EAEU testing scope; ATEX alone bridges nothing legally.
FAQ
Is ATEX certification valid in Kazakhstan?
No. Kazakhstan is an EAEU member, and equipment for explosive atmospheres requires EAC Ex certification under TR CU 012/2011. ATEX has no legal standing, though its underlying IEC test evidence eases the EAC Ex process.
Does IECEx help with TR CU 012 certification?
Substantially. TR CU 012 is built on the same IEC 60079 standards, and accredited EAEU bodies can take IECEx test reports into account, reducing in-lab testing scope and timeline.
How much does EAC Ex certification cost for an intrinsically safe phone?
Typically $15,000–40,000 per model family and four to eight months, including verification testing and Russian-language documentation.
Who can apply for an EAC Ex certificate?
Only an EAEU-resident entity — a local distributor, representative or subsidiary acts as applicant and legal responsible party. Structure this contractually so the certificate follows the brand.
Do TCO and NCOC accept IECEx-certified devices?
Their engineering teams evaluate against IEC standards, but equipment owned and operated in Kazakhstan must satisfy TR CU 012 at contract review. IECEx plus an EAC Ex certification plan keeps a supplier in the evaluation.
Infinity-EX manufactures ATEX/IECEx Zone 1/21 certified phones and tablets and supports EAC Ex certification pathways for EAEU fleet opportunities. Contact our team to align certification with your project schedule.