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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1201 |
LANGENESS
IMO 9944778
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1202 |
CMA CGM MENDELSSOHN
IMO 9449106
|
3,646 TEU | 2012 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1203 |
CMA CGM SEMARANG
IMO 9377133
|
2,700 TEU | 2007 |
8.7
|
C |
| 1204 |
MAERSK BENGUELA
IMO 9355367
|
3,078 TEU | 2005 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1205 |
MSC GRETA III
IMO 9415296
|
2,732 TEU | 2008 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1206 |
PANDA 008
IMO 9248162
|
5,752 TEU | 2003 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1207 |
MSC LIPSIA III
IMO 9237498
|
3,091 TEU | 2004 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1208 |
LUNA MAERSK
IMO 9190781
|
4,045 TEU | 2002 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1209 |
MSC FOLEGANDROS VI
IMO 9247560
|
5,576 TEU | 2001 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1210 |
VOLGA MAERSK
IMO 9775749
|
3,600 TEU | 2018 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1211 |
MSC INDIA
IMO 9231248
|
5,762 TEU | 2002 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1212 |
LAUST MAERSK
IMO 9190743
|
4,045 TEU | 2001 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1213 |
MAERSK NOMAZWE
IMO 9294381
|
4,045 TEU | 2004 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1214 |
NYK METEOR
IMO 9337638
|
4,888 TEU | 2007 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1215 |
MSC LEIGH
IMO 9320439
|
4,860 TEU | 2006 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1216 |
MSC SENA
IMO 9116369
|
2,517 TEU | 1996 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1217 |
LITTLE ATHINA
IMO 9980368
|
24,500 | 2024 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1218 |
GARDINER
IMO 9275048
|
2,556 TEU | 2003 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1219 |
MSC ANTONIA
IMO 9398216
|
6,500 TEU | 2009 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1220 |
MSC NEDERLAND III
IMO 8918954
|
2,668 TEU | 1992 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1221 |
MSC DONATA
IMO 9237151
|
3,900 TEU | 2002 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1222 |
MSC RONIT R
IMO 9293167
|
4,922 TEU | 2005 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1223 |
MAERSK DURBAN
IMO 9299044
|
2,478 TEU | 2005 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1224 |
MSC NURIA
IMO 9349825
|
4,860 TEU | 2008 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1225 |
CHIQUITA HARVESTER
IMO 9976226
|
23,900 | 2024 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1226 |
NYK NEBULA
IMO 9337640
|
4,888 TEU | 2007 |
8.8
|
C |
| 1227 |
MAERSK GIRONDE
IMO 9235555
|
4,318 TEU | 2002 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1228 |
MAERSK GARONNE
IMO 9235579
|
4,318 TEU | 2003 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1229 |
IONIKOS
IMO 9397614
|
4,308 TEU | 2009 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1230 |
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
IMO 9458999
|
4,432 TEU | 2010 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1231 |
LEONIDAS Z
IMO 9963528
|
2,782 TEU | 2024 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1232 |
MSC ROWAN
IMO 9477610
|
4,250 TEU | 2012 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1233 |
CMA CGM EIFFEL
IMO 9248112
|
4,367 TEU | 2002 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1234 |
BAMSI BEYREK
IMO 9215919
|
2,556 TEU | 2001 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1235 |
MSC MASHA 3
IMO 9188219
|
2,169 TEU | 1998 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1236 |
MEHMET KAHVECI A
IMO 9248916
|
1,150 TEU | 2002 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1237 |
VAYENGA MAERSK
IMO 9775751
|
3,600 TEU | 2018 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1238 |
CMA CGM PUGET
IMO 9248124
|
4,367 TEU | 2002 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1239 |
CMA CGM SYDNEY
IMO 9315953
|
4,300 TEU | 2007 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1240 |
ADAMS
IMO 9260914
|
5,928 TEU | 2003 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1241 |
MSC HARMONY III
IMO 9309411
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1242 |
MAERSK VALLETTA
IMO 9833369
|
1,800 TEU | 2019 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1243 |
DETROIT EXPRESS
IMO 9610169
|
3,800 TEU | 2014 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1244 |
MAERSK KANSAS
IMO 9311701
|
4,154 TEU | 2007 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1245 |
VISTULA MAERSK
IMO 9775737
|
3,600 TEU | 2018 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1246 |
GSL TEGEA
IMO 9222986
|
5,514 TEU | 2001 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1247 |
MSC MIRELLA R
IMO 9293179
|
4,922 TEU | 2005 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1248 |
MAERSK BAYETE
IMO 9355355
|
3,078 TEU | 2009 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1249 |
KALAHARI EXPRESS
IMO 9400095
|
6,300 TEU | 2010 |
8.9
|
C |
| 1250 |
MSC MARTA
IMO 9295385
|
5,599 TEU | 2005 |
9.0
|
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.