Indian Oil has emerged as the first company to deliver the parcel of 0.5 per cent sulphur380 CST marine fuel oil to international ship.

The company has thus complied with International Maritime Organisation guidelines which require all the seagoing tanker vessel to switch over to marine fuel having a sulphur content of 0.5 per cent from January 1, 2020, against the current limit of 3.5 per cent.

The company in a statement issued here said that the first bunker sales of this very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO ) in India were made during this week from Kochi and Kandla. In Kochi, supplies were made to the international tanker MV UACC Ras Tanura sailing to South Africa.

Indian Oil is also planning bunker fuel deliveries at the ports of Mumbai, Mangaluru, Tuticorin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Haldia by mid-November.

VLSFO with 0.5 per cent is produced from sweet crude oil grades and complies with ISO 8217:2017 RMG380 standard.

As part of the company’s commitment to safeguard the environment and to reduce pollution, Indian Oil had become the first company to implement the guidelines by starting deliveries ahead of the mandated schedule.