China boasts a long history of shipbuilding technology; the "Fuchuan" (Fujian-style ship) of the Song and Yuan dynasties was renowned for its "watertight bulkhead" technology. The establishment of the Fujian Shipyard in 1866 marked the beginning of China's modern marine equipment industry, giving rise to milestone vessels such as the *Wannianqing*, the country's first steamship in the 1,000-ton class.
In contemporary times, China has achieved a series of breakthroughs in fields such as specialized vessels, offshore wind power equipment, and deep-sea aquaculture platforms. Regarding specialized vessels, the Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Company constructed dual-fuel car carriers (Ro-Ro ships). In March 2026, the Haixi Bay facility in Qingdao, Shandong, successfully delivered my country's first ammonia-fueled marine engine and the *MENAPII*, a 319,000-ton class "ammonia-ready" very large crude carrier (VLCC). In June 2026, during the Summer Davos Forum, Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore delivered the world's first 7,500-cubic-meter liquid CO2 carrier-commissioned for Norway's Northern Lights project-thereby realizing a complete value chain for CO2 capture, transport, and utilization. [2] In the realm of offshore wind power equipment, the world's largest 26-megawatt offshore wind turbine rolled off the production line at the Three Gorges Offshore Wind Power International Industrial Park in Fujian. Regarding deep-sea aquaculture platforms, "Mintou No. 1"-China's first semi-submersible, intelligent deep-sea platform integrating fishery and tourism-was put into operation.
In terms of manufacturing efficiency, the total cycle time for constructing a 175,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier on Changxing Island, Shanghai, has been reduced to 16–18 months. Meanwhile, the localization rate for key equipment and components has risen sharply from less than 30% over a decade ago to approximately 80%.
On June 8, 2026, an exhibition showcasing the commercialization of marine sci-tech innovations was held in Sanya as part of Hainan Province's events for World Oceans Day and National Ocean Awareness Day. The exhibition highlighted various cutting-edge marine technologies-including unmanned patrol boats, long-range underwater acoustic communication devices, and wave gliders-demonstrating the latest progress in industry-academia-research collaborative innovation driving the industrialization of marine equipment. In September 2026, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) conducted its inaugural vocational skill level assessment for intelligent equipment operators. Organized by the CNOOC Energy Development Vocational Skill Assessment Station, the event saw the participation of an initial group of 19 frontline operators. The assessment framework integrated CNOOC's vocational skill standards with typical operational scenarios involving intelligent equipment. It featured modules covering process understanding and parameter optimization, intelligent equipment programming and control, operational monitoring and anomaly diagnosis, maintenance and troubleshooting, as well as multi-process coordination and emergency response. This initiative aims to cultivate versatile skilled personnel capable of meeting the demands of the intelligent upgrading of offshore equipment and to open up new career development pathways for frontline employees.
