Most Emission-Efficient Container Ships
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 2024. Lower is greener. Pick a segment and size class to see the greenest vessels first.
| # | Vessel | Size (TEU) | Built | Carbon intensity — AER (g CO₂/dwt·nm) | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1301 |
ATLANTICA PIONEER
IMO 9449120
|
3,635 TEU | 2012 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1302 |
AL JUBAIL
IMO 9547219
|
3,016 TEU | 2014 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1303 |
CMA CGM MALTA
IMO 9301433
|
2,556 TEU | 2004 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1304 |
MSC JENNIFER II
IMO 9433157
|
1,794 TEU | 2009 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1305 |
SPYROS V
IMO 9453365
|
4,250 TEU | 2011 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1306 |
MAERSK IZMIR
IMO 9348168
|
3,364 TEU | 2005 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1307 |
NAVIOS DOMINO
IMO 9478494
|
4,250 TEU | 2008 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1308 |
MSC DAR ES SALAAM III
IMO 9158525
|
2,546 TEU | 1999 |
10.2
|
D |
| 1309 |
GREAT LAGOS
IMO 9935026
|
2,000 TEU | 2023 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1310 |
MSC SAGITTA III
IMO 9401166
|
3,400 TEU | 2010 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1311 |
MSC TAMARA
IMO 9351579
|
4,254 TEU | 2008 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1312 |
INDEPENDENT QUEST
IMO 9246700
|
3,100 TEU | 2005 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1313 |
CMA CGM CEBU
IMO 9362736
|
1,795 TEU | 2008 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1314 |
DUBLIN EXPRESS
IMO 9232577
|
4,115 TEU | 2002 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1315 |
GSL LALO
IMO 9330525
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1316 |
ECO PONENTE
IMO 9985966
|
13,661 | 2024 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1317 |
MAERSK PUELO
IMO 9306172
|
6,539 TEU | 2006 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1318 |
CINDY
IMO 9304734
|
2,490 TEU | 2004 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1319 |
MAERSK NACALA
IMO 9459424
|
3,646 TEU | 2014 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1320 |
MAERSK BAYETE
IMO 9355355
|
3,078 TEU | 2009 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1321 |
CMA CGM AFRICA THREE
IMO 9451939
|
3,600 TEU | 2010 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1322 |
CMA CGM CONSTANZA
IMO 9471202
|
4,250 TEU | 2010 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1323 |
GREAT ANTWERP
IMO 9935014
|
2,000 TEU | 2023 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1324 |
GSL ALICE
IMO 9509164
|
3,400 TEU | 2014 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1325 |
MAERSK BATAM
IMO 9355331
|
3,194 TEU | 2008 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1326 |
INDEPENDENT FUTURE
IMO 9246712
|
3,091 TEU | 2005 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1327 |
MAERSK BRANI
IMO 9409352
|
3,100 TEU | 2010 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1328 |
CMA CGM OSAKA
IMO 9400291
|
4,506 TEU | 2008 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1329 |
EF OLIVIA
IMO 9252735
|
3,100 TEU | 2006 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1330 |
ELBSPIRIT
IMO 9372860
|
3,400 TEU | 2008 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1331 |
BAHRI JAZAN
IMO 9620970
|
364 TEU | 2013 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1332 |
BSG BONAIRE
IMO 9303766
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1333 |
GREEN POLE
IMO 9866005
|
1,800 TEU | 2020 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1334 |
XIN CHONG QING
IMO 9262118
|
4,051 TEU | 2003 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1335 |
RDO LIBERTY
IMO 9631113
|
3,614 TEU | 2013 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1336 |
MAERSK INCHEON
IMO 9329629
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1337 |
SPARTEL TRADER
IMO 9243203
|
3,237 TEU | 2000 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1338 |
X-PRESS KAVERI
IMO 9470765
|
1,577 TEU | 2008 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1339 |
CAPE QUEST
IMO 9734159
|
2,200 TEU | 2017 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1340 |
XIN NAN TONG
IMO 9262132
|
4,050 TEU | 2003 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1341 |
MAERSK WAKAYAMA
IMO 9550357
|
1,577 TEU | 2010 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1342 |
MAERSK BRATAN
IMO 9394894
|
3,100 TEU | 2009 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1343 |
MSC TAMPA
IMO 9317925
|
5,041 TEU | 2006 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1344 |
NORDAMELIA
IMO 9724958
|
2,500 TEU | 2017 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1345 |
ITAL WIT
IMO 9950791
|
2,300 TEU | 2024 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1346 |
APL FLORIDA
IMO 9350032
|
6,350 TEU | 2008 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1347 |
LITTLE EMMA
IMO 9980356
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1348 |
ATLANTIC SUN
IMO 9670614
|
3,817 TEU | 2017 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1349 |
EM KEA
IMO 9334351
|
3,108 TEU | 2007 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1350 |
CAPE MALE
IMO 9440150
|
2,758 TEU | 2009 |
10.5
|
D |
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 2024 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.