Marine equipment is widely used in fields such as marine resource development, maritime transportation, marine scientific research, marine defense, and offshore operations.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is being applied across the marine economy-including in aquaculture, shipbuilding, marine equipment manufacturing, and new energy sectors-with China leading the world in the speed of integration and providing critical support for the nation's development into a maritime power.
In the field of marine resource development, equipment is utilized for oil and gas extraction; examples include semi-submersible drilling platforms and Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) units. Notably, my country's "Deep Sea No. 1"-the world's first 100,000-ton deep-water semi-submersible production and storage platform-has commenced operations in the South China Sea [4]. Deep-sea aquaculture employs specialized equipment such as smart aquaculture vessels and deep-sea fish farms; for instance, the 150,000-ton smart aquaculture vessel "Guoxin No. 1" (operating in the Yellow Sea) achieved large-scale salmon and trout production [3], alongside the "Mintou No. 1," a semi-submersible deep-sea smart platform integrating aquaculture and tourism. Offshore wind power equipment includes large-scale wind turbine units, such as the world's largest 26-megawatt offshore wind turbine, which rolled off the production line in October 2024. Equipment for commercial aerospace sea-based launches includes my country's only dedicated commercial aerospace sea-launch homeport, established in Haiyang, Yantai
Maritime transportation equipment encompasses container ships, oil tankers, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, and car carriers (Ro-Ro ships). Additionally, liquid CO2 carriers supporting Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies have entered service; for example, the world's first 7,500-cubic-meter liquid CO2 carrier-built in Dalian to transport liquefied CO2 for subsea storage or chemical utilization-was commissioned for Norway's "Northern Lights" project.
Marine engineering construction and maintenance involve the laying and protection of subsea pipelines; a notable example is the spiral strake technology independently developed by CNOOC, which has been successfully applied in engineering projects to suppress vortex-induced vibrations and extend pipeline service life [12]. Regarding the securing and protection of submarine cables, Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co., Ltd. filed a patent in July 2026 for a "submarine cable anti-sinking plate and its installation method" (Application Publication No. CN122475064A). Utilizing materials such as shape-memory alloys, this technology represents an innovation in submarine cable protection equipment, designed to enhance the anti-sinking plate's seabed penetration capability, load-bearing stability, and resistance to horizontal sliding. Channel dredging operations employ equipment such as trailing suction hopper dredgers; for instance, the "Jun Guang"-Asia's largest vessel of this type, which entered service in May 2026-is used for port channel dredging. Other engineering equipment includes crane vessels and pipe-laying vessels.
Marine scientific research equipment encompasses research vessels and deep-submergence vehicles, such as the full-ocean-depth manned submersible "Fendouzhe" (Striver). Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)-such as the "Wenhai 6000h," a heavy-duty deep-sea work-class ROV-are capable of diving to depths of up to 6,523 meters.
Marine defense equipment primarily consists of naval vessels such as aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines, serving to ensure maritime security.
