On October 10, 2025, the 115,000 DWT Aframax tanker “OASIS” was successfully launched at Taizhou Wanlong Shipyard, setting a new World Record for the largest vessel ever launched using marine airbags. Major media outlets such as Zhejiang Daily and Qianjiang Evening News highlighted the outstanding performance of China’s proprietary marine airbag technology during the launch. This giant vessel has not only claimed the title of the largest ship locally built in Taizhou with its record-breaking tonnage, but also risen to the status of “the world’s largest vessel launched via marine airbag technology” through this innovative method, setting a brand-new benchmark for the global shipbuilding industry.
As early as July 2021, the first Chief Designer of China’s Ships and Director of the Science and Technology Committee at Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd., clearly pointed out: “With the further development of airbag technology, supplemented by mature and comprehensive operational management procedures, airbag launching technology is fully capable of being used for the launching of 100,000-ton class vessels.……”
However, he also sighed with emotion: “Over the past 40 years, the development path of ship launching airbag technology has not been smooth. Originating from ‘grassroots innovation’ outside the mainstream, although it has been widely applied in small and medium-sized shipyards with remarkable results, large backbone shipyards have basically not adopted it.…… For a long time, it was rejected by the mainstream shipbuilding industry. ‘Airbag launching’ was once interpreted as synonymous with ‘beach-launched shipbuilding,’ implying low-quality construction.”
Today, this prejudice is being shattered.
With the advancement of rubber manufacturing technology and airbag manufacturing technology, along with the efforts of numerous scientists and engineers, the airbag launching technology has gradually been able to meet the requirements for launching such super-large ships, and practical applications have also proved that launching super-large ships using the airbag method is safe and feasible.
As a leading manufacturer and supplier of marine airbags, Qingdao Evergreen Maritime Supplies Co., Ltd. (Yongtai) is immensely proud of this achievement! We are determined to continue our commitment to R&D and quality, aiming to build new milestones for the further promotion and application of this revolutionary ship launching technology.