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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1401 |
CAPE CITIUS
IMO 9848742
|
2,700 TEU | 2021 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1402 |
MSC JENNY II
IMO 9000742
|
2,045 TEU | 1995 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1403 |
SIARGAO
IMO 9944742
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1404 |
MSC VAISHNAVI R.
IMO 9227340
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1405 |
MSC NISHA V
IMO 9326768
|
4,298 TEU | 2006 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1406 |
VIVIEN A
IMO 9491848
|
2,478 TEU | 2007 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1407 |
GSL MYNY
IMO 9213583
|
5,514 TEU | 2000 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1408 |
WADI ALRAYAN
IMO 9208875
|
3,011 TEU | 2000 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1409 |
ALGECIRAS EXPRESS
IMO 9227015
|
4,253 TEU | 2002 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1410 |
MSC MADISON II
IMO 9231119
|
1,678 TEU | 2002 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1411 |
CMA CGM ALIAGA
IMO 9323039
|
3,500 TEU | 2008 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1412 |
MELCHIOR SCHULTE
IMO 9676723
|
2,345 TEU | 2015 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1413 |
ATLANTIC SAIL
IMO 9670585
|
3,817 TEU | 2016 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1414 |
MSC ANISHA R.
IMO 9227297
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1415 |
EGY CROWN
IMO 9216107
|
1,129 TEU | 2000 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1416 |
CMA CGM WHITE
IMO 9756092
|
2,259 TEU | 2016 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1417 |
LETO
IMO 9311880
|
3,091 TEU | 2006 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1418 |
NEXOE MAERSK
IMO 9220885
|
2,226 TEU | 2001 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1419 |
TORONTO EXPRESS
IMO 9253727
|
4,402 TEU | 2003 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1420 |
MSC JULIA R.
IMO 9227338
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1421 |
AS SILJE
IMO 9813826
|
1,750 TEU | 2019 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1422 |
OOCL MONTREAL
IMO 9253739
|
4,402 TEU | 2003 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1423 |
CMA CGM AMERICA
IMO 9295971
|
4,043 TEU | 2006 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1424 |
COLOMBO TRADER
IMO 9255763
|
750 TEU | 2004 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1425 |
MSC RADIANT III
IMO 9235402
|
2,456 TEU | 2001 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1426 |
CMA CGM ISKENDERUN
IMO 9321902
|
3,500 TEU | 2007 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1427 |
CMA CGM LOUGA
IMO 9745550
|
2,636 TEU | 2018 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1428 |
VALENTINA
IMO 9344722
|
1,875 TEU | 2007 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1429 |
CMA CGM SAN ANTONIO
IMO 9294173
|
2,824 TEU | 2005 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1430 |
CINZIA A
IMO 9226516
|
2,452 TEU | 2001 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1431 |
ZHONG GU NAN HAI
IMO 9842310
|
1,908 TEU | 2019 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1432 |
GREAT ABIDJAN
IMO 9935040
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1433 |
STANLEY A
IMO 9303807
|
2,824 TEU | 2003 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1434 |
CONTAINERSHIPS BOREALIS
IMO 9866249
|
1,368 TEU | 2021 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1435 |
MSC KATYA R.
IMO 9227302
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1436 |
ECO OSTRO
IMO 9959565
|
1,170 TEU | 2024 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1437 |
MARGARETE SCHULTE
IMO 9302944
|
2,602 TEU | 2006 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1438 |
CMA CGM LOME
IMO 9539494
|
3,100 TEU | 2013 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1439 |
AZARGOUN
IMO 9283019
|
2,478 TEU | 2003 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1440 |
MONTREAL EXPRESS
IMO 9253741
|
4,402 TEU | 2003 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1441 |
SAFESEA YASH
IMO 9303778
|
3,400 TEU | 2007 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1442 |
OKEE CUNO
IMO 9406960
|
1,732 TEU | 2008 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1443 |
MED SAMSUN
IMO 9225794
|
2,226 TEU | 2003 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1444 |
MARTHA A
IMO 9299484
|
2,474 TEU | 2005 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1445 |
GRANDE SCANDINAVIA
IMO 9220615
|
753 TEU | 2001 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1446 |
HAMMONIA BALTICA
IMO 9481532
|
2,790 TEU | 2011 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1447 |
CONSTANTINOS P II
IMO 9461623
|
4,250 TEU | 2011 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1448 |
AL BATEEN
IMO 9668984
|
3,100 TEU | 2015 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1449 |
LUCIE SCHULTE
IMO 9301926
|
2,602 TEU | 2006 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1450 |
DIMITRIS C
IMO 9210074
|
3,430 TEU | 2001 |
11.3
|
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.