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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1551 |
SEATRADE BLUE
IMO 9756107
|
2,259 TEU | 2017 |
12.5
|
D |
| 1552 |
AS CARELIA
IMO 9309409
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
12.5
|
D |
| 1553 |
MAERSK NESTON
IMO 9215907
|
2,556 TEU | 1999 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1554 |
WINDSWEPT
IMO 9399806
|
2,750 TEU | 2010 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1555 |
PANDA 005
IMO 9981063
|
1,400 TEU | 2022 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1556 |
PANDA 004
IMO 9968906
|
1,400 TEU | 2024 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1557 |
MIRADOR EXPRESS
IMO 9243174
|
3,237 TEU | 2002 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1558 |
CONTAINERSHIPS NORD
IMO 9813993
|
1,368 TEU | 2015 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1559 |
DJANET
IMO 9845063
|
1,500 TEU | 2020 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1560 |
ZEBRA
IMO 9231157
|
2,602 TEU | 2001 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1561 |
ST. JOHN
IMO 9634646
|
1,700 TEU | 2014 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1562 |
AS FREYA
IMO 9292436
|
1,200 TEU | 2004 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1563 |
MICHEL A
IMO 9379349
|
1,604 TEU | 2007 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1564 |
AS NINA
IMO 9401178
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1565 |
MAERSK NANSHA
IMO 9385996
|
2,546 TEU | 2008 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1566 |
MSC RHIANNON
IMO 9224051
|
2,024 TEU | 2001 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1567 |
MSC LEANDRA V
IMO 9313943
|
4,196 TEU | 2007 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1568 |
CALISTO
IMO 9306067
|
1,574 TEU | 2005 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1569 |
HANSA ROTENBURG
IMO 9401673
|
1,740 TEU | 2009 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1570 |
MARLA TIGER
IMO 9932933
|
1,984 TEU | 2015 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1571 |
JOHANNES MAERSK
IMO 9215189
|
2,840 TEU | 2001 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1572 |
DELPHIS RIGA
IMO 9780665
|
2,155 TEU | 2017 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1573 |
BELITAKI
IMO 9152923
|
1,684 TEU | 1998 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1574 |
VALDIVIA
IMO 9333395
|
1,678 TEU | 2006 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1575 |
MAERSK NILE
IMO 9385972
|
2,546 TEU | 2008 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1576 |
HALLEY
IMO 9275062
|
2,556 TEU | 2004 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1577 |
SC MONTREAL
IMO 9311830
|
2,478 TEU | 2004 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1578 |
CMA CGM FORT STE MARIE
IMO 9261906
|
2,260 TEU | 2003 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1579 |
ORNELLA
IMO 9634660
|
1,700 TEU | 2012 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1580 |
EMMA A
IMO 9308194
|
2,800 TEU | 2007 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1581 |
CMA CGM PLATON
IMO 9362437
|
1,691 TEU | 2007 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1582 |
CMA CGM FORT FLEUR D'EPEE
IMO 9809851
|
3,300 TEU | 2019 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1583 |
HSL NIKE
IMO 9301457
|
2,556 TEU | 2005 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1584 |
MSC MANASVI II
IMO 9347724
|
1,440 TEU | 2006 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1585 |
CMA CGM VALPARAISO
IMO 9294185
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1586 |
MONA LISA
IMO 9309277
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1587 |
ETE N
IMO 9509126
|
2,758 TEU | 2012 |
12.9
|
D |
| 1588 |
MSC YOSHEEN
IMO 9322011
|
1,730 TEU | 2008 |
13.0
|
D |
| 1589 |
PHEN BASIN
IMO 9340752
|
4,250 TEU | 2007 |
13.0
|
D |
| 1590 |
JUDITH
IMO 9359260
|
1,440 TEU | 2008 |
13.0
|
D |
| 1591 |
MSC SUEDEROOG F
IMO 9256327
|
1,300 TEU | 2005 |
13.0
|
D |
| 1592 |
WANDA A
IMO 9415947
|
1,604 TEU | 2008 |
13.0
|
D |
| 1593 |
SAN ALFONSO
IMO 9344667
|
1,819 TEU | 2007 |
13.1
|
D |
| 1594 |
CALYPSO
IMO 9550371
|
1,577 TEU | 2010 |
13.1
|
D |
| 1595 |
AS PALINA
IMO 9283693
|
2,556 TEU | 2004 |
13.1
|
D |
| 1596 |
ESPOIR
IMO 9491472
|
1,349 TEU | 2011 |
13.1
|
D |
| 1597 |
CMA CGM FORT DE FRANCE
IMO 9809825
|
3,300 TEU | 2019 |
13.1
|
D |
| 1598 |
GFS SAPPHIRE
IMO 9330927
|
1,440 TEU | 2007 |
13.1
|
D |
| 1599 |
ELBTOWER
IMO 9968918
|
1,400 TEU | 2021 |
13.1
|
D |
| 1600 |
PANDA 003
IMO 9968891
|
1,400 TEU | 2024 |
13.1
|
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.