China will deliver the world's first sail-assisted Aframax tanker to a company from the UK, marking a key breakthrough for the country's shipbuilding industry in providing green and low-carbon solutions to modern oil tankers.
The tanker, built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, was named "Brands Hatch" Wednesday, a name inspired by a technically challenging racing circuit in Britain.
Unlike a traditional Aframax tanker, Brands Hatch is equipped with three 40-meter long fiberglass sails, that enable the use of wind power on the sea to save energy.
"With the use of sails, this ship can save 14.5 tons of fuel per day under ideal sea conditions with an average wind speed of 20 knots, which is equivalent to saving about 12 to 15 percent of fuel consumption compared with a conventional ship," said Huang Yiming, assistant dean of the Design and Research Institute, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding.
The most challenging part is to install and debug the intelligent-sail assisted system and to make sure the three large sails are stable on the tanker.
"It requires a very high level of precision, especially machining accuracy and installation accuracy, when raising and lowering the sails. We use many methods, including laser positioning, high precision control and quality control to ensure its success," Huang said.
The construction has won the praise of the ship's owner, Union Maritime, a company established in 2006 and aimed at green transition of ships. It has been working with Chinese shipbuilders for their quality and creativity.
"China has established itself as a world leader in shipbuilding and has done a great job in doing that. We believe that the events that are going on in the world will make the situation more complex for owners to decide, but ultimately, China's leadership position is one that is built on quality and innovative creativity, and we think these qualities are here to stay and China has established itself based on maritime quality and it'll continue to do a great job and we'll support that," said Laurent Cadji, chief executive officer of Union Maritime.
With a length of almost 250 meters and a width of 44 meters, the oil tanker is able to carry 800, 000 barrels of crude oil. It's expected to be used on the company's European routes after official delivery on June 16.
China to deliver world's first sail-assisted Aframax tanker
China to deliver world's first sail-assisted Aframax tanker
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
