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 2025. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1251 |
SEADREAM
IMO 9632832
|
5,023 TEU | 2014 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1252 |
MSC YUXIN
IMO 9966946
|
1,800 TEU | 2024 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1253 |
ONTARIO EXPRESS
IMO 9290816
|
5,512 TEU | 2005 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1254 |
MONACO
IMO 9389708
|
4,250 TEU | 2009 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1255 |
MSC NEW HAVEN
IMO 9293777
|
8,084 TEU | 2005 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1256 |
EXPRESS ARGENTINA
IMO 9443011
|
3,459 TEU | 2010 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1257 |
PL GERMANY
IMO 9288394
|
5,888 TEU | 2003 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1258 |
CMA CGM TAGE
IMO 9674555
|
9,365 TEU | 2015 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1259 |
MSC GUERNSEY V
IMO 9631876
|
4,699 TEU | 2015 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1260 |
MSC HANNAH
IMO 9316347
|
2,732 TEU | 2006 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1261 |
GSL MARIA
IMO 9231236
|
5,762 TEU | 2001 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1262 |
ARICA EXPRESS
IMO 9495765
|
4,600 TEU | 2013 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1263 |
LISA
IMO 9418652
|
4,250 TEU | 2009 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1264 |
MAX SCHULTE
IMO 9676711
|
2,339 TEU | 2015 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1265 |
JAMAICA
IMO 9403229
|
4,253 TEU | 2009 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1266 |
MAERSK BINTAN
IMO 9355288
|
3,194 TEU | 2005 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1267 |
YM FOUNTAIN
IMO 9278090
|
5,551 TEU | 2002 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1268 |
MSC KATYAYNI VI
IMO 9110389
|
5,711 TEU | 1996 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1269 |
DIMITRA C
IMO 9250995
|
4,924 TEU | 2002 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1270 |
QUEBEC EXPRESS
IMO 9294836
|
5,512 TEU | 2006 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1271 |
EVER SMILE
IMO 9300415
|
7,024 TEU | 2006 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1272 |
KOTA KARIM
IMO 9307425
|
3,081 TEU | 2006 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1273 |
MSC ORIANE
IMO 9372482
|
5,782 TEU | 2008 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1274 |
GREEN PARK
IMO 9983449
|
2,954 TEU | 2024 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1275 |
MSC NICOLE X
IMO 9214898
|
7,226 TEU | 1998 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1276 |
CHIQUITA SAILOR
IMO 9344693
|
1,819 TEU | 2008 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1277 |
MSC TUXPAN V
IMO 9289972
|
5,060 TEU | 2005 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1278 |
MSC ULSAN III
IMO 9305001
|
2,702 TEU | 2004 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1279 |
APL CALIFORNIA
IMO 9350044
|
6,350 TEU | 2009 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1280 |
CMA CGM MOMBASA
IMO 9367815
|
2,578 TEU | 2008 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1281 |
TIANJIN
IMO 9398462
|
9,262 TEU | 2010 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1282 |
XIN XIA MEN
IMO 9270476
|
5,668 TEU | 2004 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1283 |
MSC BANU III
IMO 9263332
|
3,400 TEU | 2004 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1284 |
DELPHINUS C
IMO 9337652
|
4,888 TEU | 2007 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1285 |
INDEPENDENT PRIMERO
IMO 9298636
|
3,091 TEU | 2005 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1286 |
MAERSK BULAN
IMO 9355343
|
3,100 TEU | 2005 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1287 |
VENTO DI LEVANTE
IMO 9683489
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1288 |
MSC MANDY III
IMO 8918966
|
2,668 TEU | 1993 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1289 |
CHIQUITA HORIZON
IMO 1032426
|
1,747 TEU | 2024 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1290 |
SHANGHAI
IMO 9305570
|
9,383 TEU | 2006 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1291 |
MSC MARIA LAURA II
IMO 8616520
|
2,750 TEU | 1988 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1292 |
MAERSK KENTUCKY
IMO 9193240
|
4,300 TEU | 1998 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1293 |
AL JUBAIL
IMO 9547219
|
3,016 TEU | 2014 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1294 |
MSC ALICANTE
IMO 9480174
|
5,550 TEU | 2011 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1295 |
LOUIS MAERSK
IMO 9190731
|
4,045 TEU | 2001 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1296 |
MSC TRACY V
IMO 9295177
|
4,900 TEU | 2005 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1297 |
TOKYO EXPRESS
IMO 9193290
|
4,843 TEU | 2000 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1298 |
MAERSK BATAM
IMO 9355331
|
3,194 TEU | 2008 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1299 |
APL FLORIDA
IMO 9350032
|
6,350 TEU | 2008 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1300 |
CONTI CORTESIA
IMO 9293753
|
8,084 TEU | 2005 |
9.2
|
C |
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.