Most Emission-Efficient General Cargos
Ships ranked by AER (Annual Efficiency Ratio) — grams of CO₂ emitted per tonne of deadweight carried one nautical mile (g CO₂/dwt·nm), the IMO carbon-intensity metric behind the CII rating — from official EU MRV emissions data for reporting year 2025. Lower is greener. Pick a segment and size class to see the greenest vessels first.
| # | Vessel | Size (DWT) | Built | Carbon intensity — AER (g CO₂/dwt·nm) | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2351 |
KARMSUND
IMO 7724203
|
2,728 | 1979 |
27.2
|
E |
| 2352 |
WILSON EMS
IMO 9117117
|
1,536 | 1995 |
27.2
|
E |
| 2353 |
ANNETTE
IMO 9266554
|
9,417 | 2003 |
27.2
|
E |
| 2354 |
HAJE HESEN
IMO 9159373
|
7,385 | 1997 |
27.4
|
E |
| 2355 |
PANTHERA J
IMO 9226700
|
7,072 | 2001 |
27.6
|
E |
| 2356 |
SCL MERCURY
IMO 9258193
|
8,097 | 2002 |
27.6
|
E |
| 2357 |
AMANDA
IMO 8104565
|
1,786 | 1981 |
27.7
|
E |
| 2358 |
HANNE DANICA
IMO 9006239
|
2,191 | 1992 |
27.7
|
E |
| 2359 |
CEG GALAXY
IMO 8516263
|
1,318 | 1986 |
27.7
|
E |
| 2360 |
EVANGELIA
IMO 9078531
|
1,600 | 1993 |
27.8
|
E |
| 2361 |
EEMSLIFT HENDRIKA
IMO 9671486
|
4,432 | 2015 |
27.8
|
E |
| 2362 |
DINA
IMO 9226786
|
4,372 | 2002 |
27.9
|
E |
| 2363 |
DEFNE
IMO 9378230
|
6,042 | 2008 |
27.9
|
E |
| 2364 |
RHOON-C
IMO 9226164
|
2,126 | 2000 |
28.0
|
E |
| 2365 |
MARIA
IMO 9266566
|
9,422 | 2004 |
28.0
|
E |
| 2366 |
KARINA DANICA
IMO 8903014
|
2,130 | 1991 |
28.3
|
E |
| 2367 |
EEMSLIFT NELLI
IMO 9671462
|
4,428 | 2013 |
28.6
|
E |
| 2368 |
PINTA
IMO 9063299
|
2,803 | 1993 |
28.7
|
E |
| 2369 |
EEMSLIFT ELLEN
IMO 9671474
|
4,432 | 2014 |
28.9
|
E |
| 2370 |
INDUSTRIAL CHARGER
IMO 9213959
|
7,428 | 2000 |
29.0
|
E |
| 2371 |
RIVER MAS
IMO 9228617
|
7,481 | 2001 |
29.0
|
E |
| 2372 |
EEMSLIFT DAFNE
IMO 9671448
|
4,428 | 2014 |
29.0
|
E |
| 2373 |
BBC GREENLAND
IMO 9427079
|
7,536 | 2007 |
29.2
|
E |
| 2374 |
ABOUDI D
IMO 9385817
|
8,759 | 2007 |
29.5
|
E |
| 2375 |
NYSAND
IMO 8602012
|
1,738 | 1986 |
29.9
|
E |
| 2376 |
YM ARAL
IMO 9103805
|
3,268 | 1996 |
30.1
|
E |
| 2377 |
MARGARETHE
IMO 9375886
|
3,342 | 2007 |
30.2
|
E |
| 2378 |
AFAMIA STAR
IMO 9203368
|
8,595 | 1999 |
30.3
|
E |
| 2379 |
SVENJA
IMO 9458901
|
12,975 | 2010 |
30.3
|
E |
| 2380 |
ANASTASIA K II
IMO 8914166
|
2,900 | 1991 |
30.3
|
E |
Which engines power the greenest fleets?
The main engine is the single largest CO₂ source on board — typically well over 80% of a ship's emissions come from propulsion. We aggregated this ranking the other way around: every engine design is scored by the measured carbon intensity of the vessels carrying it, licensee-built units merged under their design brand. The verdict from the 2025 data — modern dual-fuel designs like MAN B&W's ME-GI and WinGD's X-DF families, together with EGR/SCR-abated and ultra-long-stroke G-type engines, consistently power the most emission-friendly ships in service.
AER (Annual Efficiency Ratio) = annual CO₂ emissions ÷ (deadweight × distance sailed), the IMO carbon-intensity metric used for CII ratings. It is built only from measured CO₂, distance and deadweight — not the self-reported cargo transport-work figure, which is unreliable. Implausible outliers (top 2% per segment) are excluded. Grade A–E reflects each vessel's rank within its segment. Source: EMSA THETIS-MRV.