According to the Global Clean Oil Tank Industry Insight Report by Global Environmental Research Network, China released a new version of the Tank Cleaning Safety Technical Code in December 2025, listing robotic cleaning as a recommended standard for the first time, marking the industry's accelerated upgrade toward 'unmanned, sealed and intelligent' operation.

Meanwhile, the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) tracking of imported petrochemical products' carbon footprint is indirectly pushing the storage and transport sector to adopt clean cleaning processes, with related compliance costs expected to rise by about 15% in 2026.

The report shows that global clean-oil-tank patent publications reached 2,871 in 2025, up 9.6% year-on-year, with Chinese applicants contributing 34% of the global total. Robotic cleaning path planning, flexible sealing, eco-friendly cleaning agents and online waste-liquid treatment have become key technology focuses.