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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 899 |
VALOR
IMO 9628154
|
8,800 TEU | 2013 |
7.2
|
C |
| 903 |
CHICAGO EXPRESS
IMO 9295268
|
8,235 TEU | 2006 |
7.2
|
C |
| 902 |
VENTA MAERSK
IMO 9775763
|
3,600 TEU | 2018 |
7.2
|
C |
| 904 |
ONE HANNOVER
IMO 9302138
|
8,212 TEU | 2006 |
7.2
|
C |
| 906 |
MSC UBERTY VIII
IMO 9337444
|
8,241 TEU | 2008 |
7.3
|
C |
| 905 |
CMA CGM TITUS
IMO 9450636
|
8,500 TEU | 2010 |
7.3
|
C |
| 908 |
MSC SAO PAULO V
IMO 9147071
|
4,688 TEU | 1998 |
7.3
|
C |
| 907 |
MSC REGULUS
IMO 9465291
|
13,100 TEU | 2012 |
7.3
|
C |
| 911 |
LAURA MAERSK
IMO 9944546
|
2,100 TEU | 2023 |
7.3
|
C |
| 913 |
ACASTOS
IMO 9973004
|
2,800 TEU | 2024 |
7.3
|
C |
| 910 |
HYUNDAI COURAGE
IMO 9347542
|
8,600 TEU | 2008 |
7.3
|
C |
| 909 |
NYK RIGEL
IMO 9416977
|
4,888 TEU | 2009 |
7.3
|
C |
| 912 |
MSC BARBADOS
IMO 9289544
|
5,047 TEU | 2005 |
7.3
|
C |
| 914 |
MSC DUBAI VII
IMO 9444285
|
6,310 TEU | 2007 |
7.3
|
C |
| 915 |
MSC ANTONELLA
IMO 9702273
|
8,800 TEU | 2016 |
7.3
|
C |
| 916 |
MSC ABY
IMO 9166778
|
7,226 TEU | 1999 |
7.3
|
C |
| 917 |
PORTO GERMENO
IMO 9260902
|
5,928 TEU | 2002 |
7.3
|
C |
| 918 |
VALIANT
IMO 9628178
|
8,800 TEU | 2013 |
7.3
|
C |
| 919 |
CMA CGM CHOPIN
IMO 9280603
|
5,762 TEU | 2004 |
7.3
|
C |
| 920 |
MSC ALTAMIRA
IMO 9619426
|
8,762 TEU | 2012 |
7.3
|
C |
| 922 |
MSC TOKYO
IMO 9318046
|
8,204 TEU | 2006 |
7.4
|
C |
| 921 |
MSC ESTHI
IMO 9304411
|
9,200 TEU | 2006 |
7.4
|
C |
| 923 |
MSC MAXINE
IMO 9720287
|
9,400 TEU | 2015 |
7.4
|
C |
| 924 |
MSC DORADO VIII
IMO 9301495
|
8,204 TEU | 2006 |
7.4
|
C |
| 927 |
ONE HUMBER
IMO 9302140
|
8,212 TEU | 2006 |
7.4
|
C |
| 926 |
SFL HAWAII
IMO 9679555
|
6,845 TEU | 2014 |
7.4
|
C |
| 925 |
SANTA TERESA
IMO 9430375
|
7,114 TEU | 2011 |
7.4
|
C |
| 929 |
CMA CGM EXCELLENCE
IMO 9948217
|
6,963 TEU | 2023 |
7.4
|
C |
| 928 |
HYUNDAI BRAVE
IMO 9346304
|
8,562 TEU | 2008 |
7.4
|
C |
| 931 |
PAGE
IMO 9215660
|
3,799 TEU | 2001 |
7.4
|
C |
| 930 |
JOLLY ORO
IMO 9450313
|
4,600 TEU | 2009 |
7.4
|
C |
| 932 |
MSC RENAISSANCE III
IMO 9358436
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
7.4
|
C |
| 934 |
MSC ANTIGUA
IMO 9619476
|
8,762 TEU | 2013 |
7.4
|
C |
| 935 |
MSC ELODIE
IMO 9704972
|
8,800 TEU | 2015 |
7.4
|
C |
| 933 |
CMA CGM MOZART
IMO 9280615
|
5,762 TEU | 2004 |
7.4
|
C |
| 936 |
MSC ABIDJAN
IMO 9618264
|
8,800 TEU | 2013 |
7.4
|
C |
| 939 |
CMA CGM RUNDALE
IMO 9961300
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
7.4
|
C |
| 938 |
CMA CGM ALCAZAR
IMO 9335197
|
5,089 TEU | 2007 |
7.4
|
C |
| 937 |
MAERSK KENSINGTON
IMO 9333010
|
6,200 TEU | 2007 |
7.4
|
C |
| 940 |
CYPRESS
IMO 9461477
|
8,600 TEU | 2011 |
7.4
|
C |
| 941 |
CMA CGM NINGBO
IMO 9295218
|
7,455 TEU | 2005 |
7.4
|
C |
| 942 |
CLEMENS SCHULTE
IMO 9665671
|
5,400 TEU | 2014 |
7.4
|
C |
| 945 |
CMA CGM ERMITAGE
IMO 9961295
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
7.4
|
C |
| 944 |
MSC ANS
IMO 9282261
|
4,900 TEU | 2004 |
7.4
|
C |
| 943 |
EVER LIVING
IMO 9629031
|
8,488 TEU | 2013 |
7.4
|
C |
| 948 |
ANAXAGORAS
IMO 9972983
|
2,800 TEU | 2022 |
7.4
|
C |
| 947 |
CMA CGM NIAGARA
IMO 9722675
|
9,894 TEU | 2015 |
7.4
|
C |
| 946 |
MSC LORETTA
IMO 9230490
|
6,730 TEU | 2002 |
7.4
|
C |
| 950 |
GREENVILLE
IMO 9970014
|
7,200 TEU | 2024 |
7.5
|
C |
| 949 |
NYK DIANA
IMO 9337688
|
4,888 TEU | 2008 |
7.5
|
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.