Russian oil major Rosneft on Friday (26 March) said RN-Bunker, the operator of the bunkering business of NK Rosneft, by the end of 2020 supplied up to 1.3 million tons of low sulphur bunker fuel – more than double the amount of low sulphur fuel delivered in 2019, reports Manifold Times.
IMO 2020 Compliant Fuel
In total, last year the company supplied about 1.6 million tons of bunker fuel to domestic and foreign shipowners in the territorial waters of the Russian Federation. Thus, the share of IMO 2020 compliant fuel that was sold in 2020 was 84% compared to 23% from a year earlier.
Of the 84%, a significant sales volume – more than 46% (0.6 million tonnes) – came from the company’s new low-sulphur marine fuel RMLS 40.
Fuel in Demand
Rosneft’s low sulphur marine fuel is in demand by domestic and foreign shipowners, it claims. The sulphur content in these fuels does not exceed 0.1-0.5%, which significantly reduces air emissions.
In 2020, Rosneft said it continued to reorient its product portfolio in favor of low-sulphur marine fuels. Throughout 2020, Rosneft said its refineries successfully implemented measures to increase the production of environmentally friendly marine fuels, to master its production at additional capacities:
- the production of low-sulphur marine fuel RMLS 40 type E II (with a sulphur content of up to 0.5%) for the Black Sea and North-West regions began at the facilities of Syzran Oil Refinery JSC;
- JSC Achinsk Oil Refinery VNK began production of low-sulphur marine fuel RMLS 40 type E II (with a sulphur content of up to 0.5%) where its fuel is supplied to the Far East region;
- LLC “Nizhnevartovskoe NPO” has started the production of marine fuel DMF-III (with a sulphur content of up to 0.5%). This grade of fuel is supplied to the rivers of Western Siberia and the Volga-Don basin.
Flexible Pricing Policy
Rosneft said having its own bunkering business allows it to maintain a flexible pricing policy, guarantee consumers a quality product and traditionally provide high quality services.
The company noted that according to expert estimates, Rosneft’s share of the Russian bunkering market is about 20%, due to the timely expansion of its low sulphur marine fuels to increase its production.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Manifold times
