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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1151 |
SONGA PANTHER
IMO 9947732
|
1,692 TEU | 2023 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1152 |
PORTO CHELI
IMO 9221839
|
6,734 TEU | 2001 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1153 |
MSC JOY
IMO 9039250
|
1,933 TEU | 1992 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1154 |
BHARANI
IMO 9448827
|
3,646 TEU | 2010 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1155 |
MAERSK MONTE PASCOAL
IMO 9283203
|
4,000 TEU | 2005 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1156 |
MSC NAHARA
IMO 9955789
|
1,800 TEU | 2024 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1157 |
CMA CGM BARRACUDA
IMO 9322475
|
5,090 TEU | 2007 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1158 |
MSC LORENA
IMO 9320403
|
4,870 TEU | 2006 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1159 |
YM EVOLUTION
IMO 9496460
|
4,662 TEU | 2014 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1160 |
MEHUIN
IMO 9400100
|
6,300 TEU | 2011 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1161 |
MAERSK BOGOR
IMO 9394882
|
3,100 TEU | 2009 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1162 |
FELIXSTOWE
IMO 9227039
|
4,253 TEU | 2002 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1163 |
X-PRESS ANTLIA
IMO 9875381
|
2,700 TEU | 2023 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1164 |
IRENES RESPECT
IMO 9964144
|
2,824 TEU | 2024 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1165 |
DACHAN BAY EXPRESS
IMO 9539664
|
4,620 TEU | 2012 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1166 |
AS NURIA
IMO 9391787
|
3,534 TEU | 2009 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1167 |
GSL NICOLETTA
IMO 9229348
|
6,200 TEU | 2002 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1168 |
CMA CGM ALTAMIRA
IMO 9961350
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1169 |
MSC SARYA III
IMO 9241451
|
2,478 TEU | 2003 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1170 |
MSC KRITTIKA
IMO 9051507
|
2,394 TEU | 1994 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1171 |
CMA CGM TIVOLI
IMO 9961312
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1172 |
MSC ANAHITA
IMO 9302085
|
5,642 TEU | 2006 |
8.5
|
C |
| 1173 |
DUBAI EXPRESS
IMO 9440825
|
4,300 TEU | 2009 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1174 |
HYUNDAI SHANGHAI
IMO 9305647
|
6,800 TEU | 2006 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1175 |
MSC DORINE V
IMO 9301328
|
5,060 TEU | 2005 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1176 |
SEASPAN LUMACO
IMO 9443487
|
4,250 TEU | 2009 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1177 |
ZIM PACIFIC
IMO 9440837
|
4,300 TEU | 2009 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1178 |
CMA CGM VOLTAIRE
IMO 9635652
|
6,900 TEU | 2013 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1179 |
CMA CGM MONTOIR
IMO 9348443
|
4,319 TEU | 2008 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1180 |
NYK DAEDALUS
IMO 9337614
|
4,888 TEU | 2007 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1181 |
MAERSK BATUR
IMO 9402029
|
3,100 TEU | 2009 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1182 |
CONTI COURAGE
IMO 9293789
|
8,084 TEU | 2005 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1183 |
CMA CGM ALIAGA
IMO 9323039
|
3,500 TEU | 2008 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1184 |
CMA CGM MERMAID
IMO 9961283
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1185 |
MAERSK CHICAGO
IMO 9332975
|
6,188 TEU | 2007 |
8.6
|
C |
| 1186 |
MSC VERACRUZ V
IMO 9287924
|
5,060 TEU | 2005 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1187 |
SEASPAN EMERALD
IMO 9407134
|
5,041 TEU | 2009 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1188 |
MAERSK IOWA
IMO 9298686
|
4,154 TEU | 2006 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1189 |
CMA CGM BLUE WHALE
IMO 9317963
|
5,078 TEU | 2007 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1190 |
MAERSK BAHAMAS
IMO 9697026
|
2,500 TEU | 2016 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1191 |
MSC YORK VII
IMO 9196838
|
6,420 TEU | 2000 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1192 |
MOMBASA EXPRESS
IMO 9495777
|
4,600 TEU | 2013 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1193 |
NORTHWOOD
IMO 9222118
|
2,530 TEU | 1999 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1194 |
CMA CGM CONGO
IMO 9679892
|
9,220 TEU | 2015 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1195 |
MSC ORNELLA
IMO 9281267
|
4,900 TEU | 2004 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1196 |
MSC SYDNEY VI
IMO 9200677
|
5,618 TEU | 1999 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1197 |
MSC ROSARIA
IMO 9320453
|
4,860 TEU | 2007 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1198 |
ATLANTICA POWER
IMO 9467055
|
4,600 TEU | 2010 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1199 |
MSC NIOVI VIII
IMO 9290488
|
7,455 TEU | 2005 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1200 |
LANGENESS
IMO 9944778
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
8.7
|
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.