Neste announced that it is currently offering two low-sulfur marine fuels the sulfur content of which is less than 0.1 percent. Neste MDO DMB and Neste RMB products meet the requirements set out in the EU Sulfur Directive for ships operating in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel.
Neste has continued to develop its low-sulfur marine fuels, and it has been estimated that at the end of 2017 a new product will be launched which has a significantly higher viscosity than the currently available products. The RMG-type product will be compatible with all marine fuels previously developed by Neste.
“The new solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit to be commissioned at our Porvoo Refinery enables the launch of a new type of a product. As a result, we are able to produce a heavier product with a sulfur content of under 0.1 percent and highly competitive other properties compared with distillate-based products available in the market,” says Varpu Markkanen, Business Development Manager responsible for the development of oil products at Neste.
The company says that the advantage of its low-sulfur marine fuels is that they burn much more cleanly than regular heavy fuel oil. Thanks to their good flammability, lower need for heating and cleaner burning, the service life of engines increases, operating costs are lower and maintenance intervals are extended.
Low-sulfur marine fuels are distributed from Neste’s terminals in Naantali and Kokkola, from where products are trucked to all Finnish ports. In addition, ships can be bunkered ex-pipe at the Porvoo and Naantali refinery harbors. Neste has time-chartered the M/T Lotus for bunkering at ports in Helsinki.
Source: Neste
