UPDATE 2-Singapore ramp-up delay slows down Finland's Neste in Q2 and Q3

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HELSINKI, July 27 (Reuters) - Finland's Neste on Thursday posted weaker-than-expected second-quarter operating earnings and said the ramp-up of its new Singapore production facility has been slowed down by equipment repairs.

Renewable fuels are a key cornerstone for the oil refiner, which said it expects to complete its Singapore plant expansion by the end of the year.

"The Singapore ramp-up will continue during the rest of the year, SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) production in Singapore is now scheduled to start during the third quarter," CEO Matti Lehmus said in a statement.

Neste said repair work at the facility had continued in July, causing its third-quarter renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sales volume to be somewhat lower than in the second quarter.

The oil refiner and biofuel producer's April-June comparable earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell to 784 million euros ($869 million) from 1.09 billion last year, missing the 835.1 million mean estimate of 17 analysts in a poll provided by the company.

Neste's second-quarter comparable sales margin for its renewable products stood at $800 per tonne, at the lower end of the company's guidance range of $800–900 per tonne, while it gave a similar range for the third quarter.

The company said its revenue for the quarter was dented by lower market and sales prices, decreasing 24% to 5.35 billion euros from the year-ago quarter. ($1 = 0.9018 euros) (Reporting by Anne Kauranen, editing by Louise Rasmussen and Kim Coghill)