Gazprom Neft’s Omsk Refinery begins production of environmentally friendly marine fuels

The first batch of a new improved environmentally friendly marine fuel has been produced at the Omsk Refinery, Russia’s Gazprom Neft announced. Sales of this new residual marine grade fuel will be handled by Gazprom Neft’s marine bunkering business, Gazpromneft Marine Bunker.

The fuel’s maximum sulphur content of 0.1% means the product is suitable for use in Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs), which includes the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel, as defined under the MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. The fuel is also certified as complying with Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) regulations.

The Omsk Refinery plans to ship up to 50,000 tonnes of RMG-80, a low-viscosity residual marine grade fuel with a sulphur content of less than 1,000 (parts per million) ppm, by the end of this year. The market potential for the fuel is estimated at 158,000 tonnes per year.

The technology for producing low-sulphur marine fuels through the catalytic cracking of hydrotreated vacuum gas oil was developed by specialists at Omsk Refinery. The new fuel formulation includes an additive that reduces cold-flow temperature and prevents wax settlement in the fuel. Production of this new marine fuel has been made possible through a project which involved upgrading Omsk Refinery’s facilities. Total investment in the project was RUB200 million (USD3.46 million), according to Gazprom Neft.