Regarding the compliance with sustainability requirements in Lithuania from 1 January 2023 (amendments adopted)

We hereby inform that on 30 December 2022, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania adopted amendments to the rules for centralised trading in biomass for ensuring the compliance of biomass products with the criteria of sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 1 January 2023. Reference to the said amendment is here.

Below is a structured information about the amendments adopted.

Essence of the adopted regulation:

• All biomass actually supplied to customers by 1 May 2023 will be considered sustainable (regardless of whether it has been supplied under a “Sustainable Biomass” transaction or not). In approving the biomass quantity and quality reports on the stock exchange, the biomass sellers will confirm that, in supplying biomass, they complied with biomass sustainability requirements. The amendments also establish the obligation for sellers to keep the purchase documents of raw materials, which substantiate the origin and type of raw materials, and, at the request of the controlling authorities or the exchange operator, to present those documents to them.
• From May 1, after the national biomass sustainability scheme will be fully operational, only biomass supplied under transactions entered into on the exchange bearing the label “Sustainable biomass” will be considered sustainable.
• After the end of the calendar year, Baltpool, as the administrator of the National Biomass Sustainability Scheme, will provide reports to buyers on the amount of biomass obtained in accordance with this point.
• The participants have an additional possibility to justify compliance with sustainability requirements according to voluntary international schemes as per the procedure and conditions set by the administrators of the respective schemes.

What steps should be taken by the participants in order to meet the sustainability requirements from 1 January 2023:

• Regarding biomass supplied by April 30:
  1. To trade on the stock exchange as usually – it is not necessary to enter into transactions with the label “Sustainable Biomass”. Biomass supplied under any transaction will be considered sustainable;
  2. Biomass sellers need to keep documentation of the purchase of such biomass;
  3. A record stating that the supplied biomass meets sustainability requirements will appear on the invoices for the delivered biofuel, following this procedure.
• Regarding biomass supplied from 1 May 2023:
  1. To enter into transactions labelled as “Sustainable Biomass”. It will be possible to enter into such transactions on the stock exchange not later than 28 February 2023;
  2. Or justify sustainability of biomass according to the selected international voluntary scheme.

For any questions, please apply using the Baltpool customer service contacts.