New legislation to facilitate RES development in Lithuania
The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, has adopted the legislative package implementing the RED III Directive into national law. Lithuania is one of the first countries to implement the Directive.
The package of legislation aims to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources (RES), simplify regulation and reduce administrative burdens, while delivering on the key objectives of the European Green Deal.
The most important changes:
- Decarbonisation of the transport sector: Fuel suppliers will have to ensure that RES account for at least 29 per cent of the country’s fuel mix by 2030.
- Decarbonisation of the industrial sector: By 2030, at least 42 per cent of hydrogen used in industry will have to be produced from RES and at least 60 per cent by 2035.
- Accelerated RES Development Zones: Lithuania will prepare a RES development map by 21 February 2026 and approve accelerated zones for solar and wind power plants, transmission and distribution networks, and storage facilities.
- Simplified permit processes: the issuance of RES permits will be regulated in clearly defined stages, and the deadlines will be shortened: up to 12 months in accelerated zones, 24 months outside them, and 36 months in the maritime area.
- Changes in the connection of energy users and installations: the procedures for connecting large customers to the grids will be simplified, reducing the administrative burden.
- More flexible regulatory environment for power plants and storage facilities: when installing energy storage facilities with load-bearing structures, in certain cases it will no longer be necessary to change the use of the land, as in the case of solar, wind and biogas plants.
Lithuania is consistently pursuing its long-term national energy and climate policy goals to increase the share of RES in final energy consumption to 55% by 2030, to produce as much electricity as the country consumes by 2028 and to achieve a climate-neutral energy sector by 2050.
Original source: CEENERGYNEWS
