Lithuanian Buyers Turn to Polish Depots for Cheaper Coal and Briquettes
Fuel depots in Poland’s Podlaskie region are attracting Lithuanian customers seeking lower-priced coal, eco-pea coal and briquettes. At one depot in Suwałki County, Lithuanians reportedly account for 90% of customers as price gaps make cross-border purchases economical even after transport costs.
Price gap draws buyers across the border
Solid-fuel depots in Poland’s northeastern Podlaskie region are receiving a growing number of customers from Lithuania, driven primarily by differences in coal prices. WNP, citing reporting by money.pl, said a tonne of heating fuel in Poland can cost several hundred złoty less than on the Lithuanian side of the border. The gap is encouraging households and other small buyers to collect fuel directly from Polish suppliers, even after accounting for transport.
The cross-border demand is particularly visible near Suwałki and Sejny. A seller at one depot in Suwałki County told money.pl that Lithuanian customers represent as much as 90% of its clientele. Buyers are taking a broad range of products, including coal and peat briquettes, rather than concentrating on a single fuel grade. Local sellers are also reporting stronger interest in eco-pea coal and other solid heating fuels.
Polish prices range from 1,135 to 1,700 złoty
Prices vary by product, supplier and packaging. In Sejny County, nut coal costs about 1,700 złoty per tonne, while mixed coal can be found for 1,200 złoty. State-controlled producer Polska Grupa Górnicza lists its cheapest nut coal from the Ziemowit mine at 1,135 złoty per tonne. Bagged coal is available from approximately 1,365 złoty per tonne, excluding delivery.
In Lithuania, August prices for hard coal were about €370-500 per tonne, equivalent to roughly 1,600-2,150 złoty, according to the figures cited by money.pl. Eco-pea coal was priced at approximately €380-530 per tonne. The upper end of these Lithuanian ranges leaves enough room for Polish offers to remain competitive after buyers add the cost of collecting or transporting the fuel.
A small market with no domestic coal production
Lithuania does not mine coal and therefore depends on imports for the volumes it consumes. Coal nevertheless occupies only a minor position in the country’s overall energy mix. Data cited by money.pl show that solid fossil fuels accounted for less than 1% of Lithuania’s final energy consumption last year. The current buying pattern is therefore more significant for the retail heating-fuel market in the border region than for Lithuania’s national energy balance.
For Polish depots, the influx provides an additional customer base and may support turnover across several fuel categories ahead of the heating season. For Lithuanian buyers, the calculation depends on the price available at a specific Polish depot, the quantity purchased and the cost of transport. The reported ranges show why depots close to the border have an advantage: a saving of several hundred złoty per tonne can cover logistics more readily over a short distance. The trade also illustrates how retail energy-price differences can redirect purchasing rapidly within the EU’s open internal market.