China has unveiled the “first domestically developed 10-megawatt polar icebreaking propulsor… in Shanghai on Tuesday, marking a major breakthrough in the independent development of core equipment for polar vessels and ending its previous reliance on foreign suppliers in this specialized field,” CCTV reported Oct. 20. The 10-megawatt system, developed by Powermaster Marine, is expected to arrive at a European shipyard in late November before being installed on a vessel in February 2027. The Swiss technology group ABB is the only other producer of these propulsors.

Global Times reports, “Often described as the ‘heart’ of polar vessels, podded propulsors must withstand repeated impacts from ice and harsh effects of extremely low temperatures.”