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Ecoslops, the first company to develop technology to produce recycled marine fuel from marine oil residues (also known as 'slops'), has announced its first sale of light bitumen.

In a statement, Vincent Favier, CEO of Ecoslops, said: "Following our initial sale of marine fuel, the first sale of light bitumen shows our plant in the Port of Sinès has the capacity to recycle and upcycle over 98 percent of the oil residue we collect, and our ability to meet the requirements of our end clients. This latest step bodes well for our future sales development. This demonstration of our industrial efficiency illustrates the validity of our business model and further increases our confidence in our ability to soon establish new sites."

Light bitumen (XFO) is the heaviest cut of Ecoslops' production. The recycled product is said to have the technical characteristics for companies involved in waterproof and insulating cladding, such as the building and construction markets.

The market for bitumen is predominantly local to the company's industrial plant in the Port of Sines in Portugal, thus Ecoslops is confident of being able to find similar markets for future sites. The light bitumen replaces equivalent virgin products, which increases its appeal as a recycled product.

Following its official inauguration at the end of June 2015 and a phase involving tests, product qualification and the finalisation of the training of local teams, the Sinès processing plant began the industrial production of the first marine fuel from recycled oil residue. Earlier this month, the company confirmed the sale of the first volume of marine fuel - 1,000 tonnes of ISO 8217-compliant marine diesel oil (MDO) - to a European bunker operator.

The Sinès site can process close to 30,000 tons of slops a year.

"Ecoslops is proving its ability to recycle and upcycle the majority all of the oil residues it collects (slops and sludges) either into marine fuel or into technical products for the building and construction markets," the company said in its latest statement.