Image: Neste

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Neste announced on Thursday that it will be introducing its Neste Marine 0.5 brand of low-sulphur fuel during the fourth quarter of 2019 - ahead of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) implementation of a global 0.5 percent cap on fuel sulphur content in January.

According to Neste, the new 0.5-percent-sulphur product is manufactured at its refinery in Porvoo, Finland, and meets the RMG 0.5 specification and ISO 8217:2017 standard.

Discussing the soon-to-be-launched fuel, the Finnish supplier explained: "Neste is able to ensure stable product quality and technical feasibility. These are verified by full[-]scale fuel equipment system and engine tests in laboratory and onboard [sic]."

Marko Pekkola, Executive Vice President of Oil Products at Neste, remarked: "[Neste] has always been in the forefront of developing cleaner and more sustainable solutions. This is also the key driver within our marine fuels business. Neste Marine 0.5 meets the stricter legislative requirements for maritime sulphur emissions, enabling smooth operations."

The bunker seller added: "By choosing Neste's low-sulphur fuel, shipping companies will have a solution ... which is easy to switch to ... and guarantees immediate compliance with the global sulphur cap."

Neste Marine 0.5 is to be made available in Northwest Europe. Details regarding the exact locations are to be released in the autumn of 2019, the company said.