Regulation of the Minister regarding quality requirements for briquettes and pellets – we explain!
The document published on 9 May 2025, entitled “Regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment of 8 May 2025 on quality requirements for biomass obtained from trees and shrubs introduced to the market or covered by the customs procedure of release for free circulation in the form of briquettes or pellets”, will gain legal force exactly two weeks after publication – that is, on 24 May 2025.
The Regulation is addressed mainly to producers, importers, distributors and sellers of wood briquettes and pellets intended for households and combustion installations with a capacity below 1 MW.
IMPORTANT: the document does not refer to pellets or briquettes produced for own use.
As is commonly known – ignorance of the law is harmful.
Therefore, we are happy to explain the new regulations to you.
Regulation of the Minister of Climate – what will the new regulations change in practice?
Most of the content of the government document consists of new standards concerning the quality of fuels produced from woody biomass – we provide their summary in the following paragraphs.
The new regulations also indirectly specify the obligations of distributors of this type of fuel.
Obligations of biomass fuel distributors
These include:
- Verification of the compliance of documentation provided by producers with the requirements of the Regulation.
- Informing the consumer about the product’s quality class and its intended use (e.g. for boilers with an eco-design certificate).
- In the event of detecting non-compliance, temporary suspension of distribution.
However, most of the guidelines concern biofuel producers.
The new regulations regarding raw material prohibit the use of varnished, impregnated, glued or chemically dyed wood for the production of pellets and briquettes.
Below we present the latest guidelines for producers of solid fuels made from woody biomass.
1. New standards for briquettes
According to the Regulation, briquettes introduced to the market or covered by the customs procedure must meet the following conditions:
Note: in the ministry’s document, standards are defined for briquettes in working condition (R) or dry condition (S).
Working condition means the state in which the fuel is used, while dry condition is defined as the state after drying for more than two hours at a temperature of 105–110 °C.
1. Moisture content (R): Maximum 12%
2. Ash content (S): Maximum 3%.
3. Grain density (R): At least 0.9 g/cm³ – In this context, grain density means the density of the briquette, or rather the degree of biomass compaction.
For comparison: a density of 0.9 g/cm³ corresponds to the density of an ice cube or freshly cut beech wood.
4. Additive content (R): Maximum 2% – Additives are substances supporting production or combustion. The Ministry lists in the document: slagging inhibitors or others, such as starch, corn flour and potato flour, vegetable oil, lignin.
5. Calorific value (R): At least 15.5 MJ/kg
6. Nitrogen content (S): Maximum 0.30% – Nitrogen in biomass may contribute to the formation of harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) during combustion.
7. Sulfur content (S): Maximum 0.04% – Sulfur may cause emission of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), which contributes to acid rain.
8. Chlorine content (S): Maximum 0.02% – Chlorine in fuel may lead to corrosion of boilers and heating devices.
2. New standards for class A2 pellets
The next part of the government document specifies the quality standards for pellets marked with the A2 certificate, applicable from 24.05.25.
Similarly to briquettes, some parameters refer to working condition (R), while others refer to dry condition (S).
Diameter of a single granule:
- Minimum: 6.00 ± 1 mm
- Maximum: 8.00 ± 1 mm
Length of a single granule:
- Minimum: 3.15 mm
- Maximum: 40.00 mm
Moisture content:
- Maximum: 10.00% (R)
Ash content:
- Maximum: 1.20% (S)
Mechanical durability:
- Minimum: 97.50% (R)
This means that after conducting a pellet mechanical durability test (usually simulating transport conditions), such a percentage (97.5%) of the total tested fraction mass will not be crushed or disintegrated.
Fine fraction content:
- Maximum: 2.00% (R)
This is the percentage share of small, unbound biomass particles in the tested section of granulate.
Calorific value:
- Minimum: 16.50 MJ/kg (R)
Bulk density;
- Minimum: 600 kg/m³ (R)
- Maximum: 750 kg/m³ (R)
This parameter defines the density of pellets including empty spaces between granules, i.e. the density of one cubic meter of pellets.
Additive content:
- Maximum: 2.00% (R)
Nitrogen content:
- Maximum: 0.50% (S)
Total sulfur content:
- Maximum: 0.04% (S)
Chlorine content:
- Maximum: 0.02% (S)
3. New standards for class A1 pellets
The last part of the Regulation specifies the quality standards for A1 type pellets applicable from 24.05.2025 – intended for heating devices of class 3, 4 and 5 or meeting eco-design requirements. The authors of the document define class A1 pellets as fuel intended for:
(...)heating devices of energy class 3, 4 and 5 or meeting the requirements of Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of eco-design requirements for energy-related products (OJ EU L 285 of 31.10.2009, p. 10 and OJ EU L 315 of 14.11.2012, p. 1), indicated in the standard transposing the European standard EN 303-5, in order to meet energy and emission criteria.
As in the case of class A2 pellets, some parameters refer to working condition (R), while others refer to granulate in dry condition (S).
The guidelines are as follows:
Diameter of a single granule:
- Minimum: 6.00 ± 1 mm
- Maximum: 8.00 ± 1 mm
Length of a single granule:
- Minimum: 3.15 mm
- Maximum: 40.00 mm
Moisture content:
- Maximum: 10.00% (R)
Ash content:
- Maximum: 0.70% (S)
Mechanical durability:
- Minimum: 98.00% (R)
This means that after conducting a pellet mechanical durability test (simulating transport conditions), as much as 98% of the mass will not be crushed or damaged.
Fine fraction content:
- Maximum: 2.00% (R)
This is the percentage share of small, unbound biomass particles in the tested granulate sample.
Calorific value:
- Minimum: 16.50 MJ/kg (R)
Bulk density:
- Minimum: 600 kg/m³ (R)
- Maximum: 750 kg/m³ (R)
This parameter specifies how much pellet (including spaces between granules) fits into one cubic meter.
Additive content:
- Maximum: 2.00% (R)
This applies, for example, to technological additives: starch, vegetable oils, lignin, etc.
Nitrogen content:
- Maximum: 0.30% (S)
Total sulfur content:
- Maximum: 0.04% (S)
Chlorine content:
- Maximum: 0.02% (S)
What about old biofuel?
Transitional provisions will apply until the end of 2025.
Briquettes or pellets produced before 1 June 2025 may be sold until the end of the current year, provided that they meet the quality standards of previous legal acts.
Link to the document on the official website of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland: Original
