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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1601 |
CMA CGM SAMBHAR
IMO 9295969
|
4,043 TEU | 2006 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1602 |
CASABLANCA A
IMO 9330903
|
1,440 TEU | 2006 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1603 |
MSC ISHYKA
IMO 9154206
|
2,456 TEU | 1997 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1604 |
TEOMAN A
IMO 9226504
|
2,452 TEU | 2001 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1605 |
NORA MAERSK
IMO 9192478
|
2,240 TEU | 2000 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1606 |
MARTHA A
IMO 9299484
|
2,474 TEU | 2005 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1607 |
GREEN OCEAN
IMO 9865960
|
1,800 TEU | 2019 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1608 |
EVRIDIKI G
IMO 9231482
|
2,530 TEU | 2001 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1609 |
HAIAN ZETA
IMO 9354648
|
1,698 TEU | 2010 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1610 |
CMA CGM FUZHOU
IMO 9596313
|
1,740 TEU | 2014 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1611 |
X-PRESS SAGARMALA
IMO 9862736
|
1,800 TEU | 2021 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1612 |
GREEN POLE
IMO 9866005
|
1,800 TEU | 2020 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1613 |
MARGUERITE A
IMO 9305893
|
1,560 TEU | 2005 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1614 |
AVA D
IMO 9306225
|
1,574 TEU | 2007 |
11.7
|
D |
| 1615 |
CMA CGM NEVA
IMO 9745548
|
2,636 TEU | 2018 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1616 |
GH FOEHN
IMO 9377559
|
2,700 TEU | 2008 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1617 |
BAHRI YANBU
IMO 9626534
|
1,009 TEU | 2014 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1618 |
MUSTAFA DAYI
IMO 9365855
|
1,849 TEU | 2011 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1619 |
MSC SANDY III
IMO 9239733
|
2,462 TEU | 2002 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1620 |
MAERSK VALPARAISO
IMO 9433054
|
1,740 TEU | 2010 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1621 |
VALENTINA
IMO 9344722
|
1,875 TEU | 2007 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1622 |
SANTA MARTA EXPRESS
IMO 9446104
|
2,550 TEU | 2010 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1623 |
CMA CGM AFRICA TWO
IMO 9451927
|
3,600 TEU | 2010 |
11.8
|
D |
| 1624 |
SAN ALFONSO
IMO 9344667
|
1,819 TEU | 2007 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1625 |
ODYSSEUS
IMO 9315824
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1626 |
MAERSK NANSHA
IMO 9385996
|
2,546 TEU | 2008 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1627 |
MSC LEA II
IMO 9162643
|
1,733 TEU | 2000 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1628 |
NEXOE MAERSK
IMO 9220885
|
2,226 TEU | 2001 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1629 |
LION
IMO 9208356
|
1,716 TEU | 2000 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1630 |
CAPE BYRON
IMO 9950090
|
1,900 TEU | 2023 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1631 |
MIEKE SCHULTE
IMO 9694426
|
2,339 TEU | 2015 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1632 |
MAERSK NILE
IMO 9385972
|
2,546 TEU | 2008 |
11.9
|
D |
| 1633 |
GREEN HOPE
IMO 9629160
|
1,700 TEU | 2014 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1634 |
MARIO A
IMO 9337377
|
1,604 TEU | 2007 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1635 |
KOTA NABIL
IMO 9356830
|
1,810 TEU | 2008 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1636 |
SINAR BUKITTINGGI
IMO 9942299
|
1,528 TEU | 2023 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1637 |
CAUCEDO EXPRESS
IMO 9434931
|
2,550 TEU | 2009 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1638 |
TORONTO EXPRESS
IMO 9253727
|
4,402 TEU | 2003 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1639 |
MSC RHIANNON
IMO 9224051
|
2,024 TEU | 2001 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1640 |
MARGARETE SCHULTE
IMO 9302944
|
2,602 TEU | 2006 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1641 |
ITAL WAY
IMO 9950789
|
2,300 TEU | 2024 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1642 |
MACAO
IMO 9362724
|
1,795 TEU | 2008 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1643 |
CMA CGM ORANGE
IMO 9690092
|
2,259 TEU | 2016 |
12.0
|
D |
| 1644 |
CRISTINA A
IMO 9337365
|
1,604 TEU | 2007 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1645 |
MSC YOSHEEN
IMO 9322011
|
1,730 TEU | 2008 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1646 |
RACHEL BORCHARD
IMO 1016587
|
17,484 | 2025 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1647 |
JPO AQUARIUS
IMO 9220316
|
2,470 TEU | 2000 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1648 |
MSC ARAINA III
IMO 9345984
|
3,534 TEU | 2008 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1649 |
MSC JANIS 3
IMO 9134490
|
2,086 TEU | 1997 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1650 |
CMA CGM AFRICA ONE
IMO 9451915
|
3,600 TEU | 2010 |
12.1
|
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 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.