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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1151 |
APL MINNESOTA
IMO 9350018
|
5,888 TEU | 2008 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1152 |
VAGA MAERSK
IMO 9778545
|
3,700 TEU | 2019 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1153 |
MSC FAIRFIELD
IMO 9302633
|
8,208 TEU | 2006 |
9.0
|
C |
| 1154 |
IRENES RULE
IMO 9953561
|
2,782 TEU | 2023 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1155 |
ITAL WAY
IMO 9950789
|
2,300 TEU | 2024 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1156 |
MSC CORNELIA
IMO 9426817
|
5,083 TEU | 2010 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1157 |
MAERSK MONTANA
IMO 9305312
|
4,300 TEU | 2006 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1158 |
MSC KATYAYNI
IMO 9110389
|
5,711 TEU | 1996 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1159 |
MSC ROSSELLA III
IMO 9320025
|
2,700 TEU | 2006 |
9.1
|
C |
| 1160 |
SPIRIT OF SINGAPORE
IMO 9362396
|
3,630 TEU | 2007 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1161 |
MAERSK BOGOR
IMO 9394882
|
3,100 TEU | 2009 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1162 |
MSC LEO VI
IMO 9229312
|
6,178 TEU | 2002 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1163 |
CMA CGM JAMAICA
IMO 9326770
|
4,298 TEU | 2006 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1164 |
ONE ATLAS
IMO 9290115
|
4,253 TEU | 2005 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1165 |
BERNHARD SCHULTE
IMO 9484546
|
4,616 TEU | 2010 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1166 |
LIVERPOOL EXPRESS
IMO 9232565
|
4,115 TEU | 2002 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1167 |
CAPE SKAGEN
IMO 9969857
|
2,713 TEU | 2023 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1168 |
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
IMO 9458999
|
4,432 TEU | 2010 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1169 |
LANGENESS
IMO 9944778
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1170 |
MAERSK BATUR
IMO 9402029
|
3,100 TEU | 2009 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1171 |
LADY JANE
IMO 9297474
|
5,042 TEU | 2005 |
9.2
|
C |
| 1172 |
CMA CGM SALAMANQUE
IMO 9961348
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1173 |
MSC MARIA CLARA
IMO 9287900
|
5,060 TEU | 2004 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1174 |
AMERICA
IMO 9285990
|
8,468 TEU | 2004 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1175 |
PORTO CHELI
IMO 9221839
|
6,734 TEU | 2001 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1176 |
NORTHERN JUBILEE
IMO 9450337
|
8,400 TEU | 2009 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1177 |
JOLLY GIADA
IMO 9484522
|
4,400 TEU | 2010 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1178 |
MSC RITA V
IMO 9313929
|
4,196 TEU | 2006 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1179 |
CHIQUITA FARMER
IMO 9336189
|
2,500 TEU | 2007 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1180 |
MIMMI SCHULTE
IMO 9743473
|
2,239 TEU | 2017 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1181 |
MELINA
IMO 9401075
|
3,853 TEU | 2009 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1182 |
MERKUR ARCHIPELAGO
IMO 9456977
|
4,300 TEU | 2009 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1183 |
MSC ANDRIANA III
IMO 9222120
|
2,550 TEU | 2001 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1184 |
MATTHEW SCHULTE
IMO 9743497
|
2,239 TEU | 2019 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1185 |
DYROS
IMO 9380403
|
4,506 TEU | 2008 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1186 |
VENTO DI BORA
IMO 9950064
|
1,900 TEU | 2023 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1187 |
MAERSK CAP CARMEL
IMO 9273923
|
2,526 TEU | 2003 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1188 |
CMA CGM AFRICA TWO
IMO 9451927
|
3,600 TEU | 2010 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1189 |
MAERSK NAIROBI
IMO 9356165
|
2,478 TEU | 2009 |
9.3
|
C |
| 1190 |
MSC VERACRUZ
IMO 9287924
|
5,060 TEU | 2005 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1191 |
ULSAN
IMO 9243306
|
3,900 TEU | 2002 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1192 |
MSC VIDISHA R.
IMO 9227326
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1193 |
ANL WYONG
IMO 9334155
|
4,250 TEU | 2008 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1194 |
CHARLESTON
IMO 9461506
|
8,600 TEU | 2011 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1195 |
JPO LIBRA
IMO 9297840
|
4,132 TEU | 2005 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1196 |
JPO VENUS
IMO 9351608
|
4,254 TEU | 2010 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1197 |
ELENI T
IMO 9397585
|
3,853 TEU | 2009 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1198 |
JADRANA
IMO 9619385
|
4,800 TEU | 2014 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1199 |
MSC TRACY V
IMO 9295177
|
4,900 TEU | 2005 |
9.4
|
C |
| 1200 |
DIMITRA C
IMO 9250995
|
4,924 TEU | 2002 |
9.4
|
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 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.