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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1351 |
MSC RADIANT III
IMO 9235402
|
2,456 TEU | 2001 |
9.5
|
D |
| 1352 |
MSC KIM
IMO 9351581
|
4,254 TEU | 2008 |
9.5
|
D |
| 1353 |
MSC MONTEREY V
IMO 9349796
|
4,860 TEU | 2007 |
9.5
|
D |
| 1354 |
MSC CORUNA
IMO 9480215
|
5,550 TEU | 2011 |
9.5
|
D |
| 1355 |
MAERSK PUELO
IMO 9306172
|
6,539 TEU | 2006 |
9.5
|
D |
| 1356 |
JPO LIBRA
IMO 9297840
|
4,132 TEU | 2005 |
9.5
|
D |
| 1357 |
ZIM ATLANTIC
IMO 9440801
|
4,300 TEU | 2009 |
9.5
|
D |
| 1358 |
DERBY D
IMO 9278117
|
4,253 TEU | 2004 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1359 |
MAERSK JABAL
IMO 9343077
|
2,824 TEU | 2008 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1360 |
VENTO DI MAESTRALE
IMO 9985021
|
24,457 | 2024 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1361 |
MSC CADIZ
IMO 9480203
|
5,550 TEU | 2011 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1362 |
MAERSK NARMADA
IMO 9356098
|
2,478 TEU | 2008 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1363 |
MSC KILIMANJARO IV
IMO 9318175
|
3,853 TEU | 2006 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1364 |
MAERSK DENVER
IMO 9332999
|
6,188 TEU | 2007 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1365 |
NAVIOS AZURE
IMO 9324851
|
4,250 TEU | 2007 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1366 |
CMA CGM OSAKA
IMO 9400291
|
4,506 TEU | 2008 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1367 |
CAPE CORFU
IMO 9857432
|
2,700 TEU | 2021 |
9.6
|
D |
| 1368 |
MSC GIANNA III
IMO 9152856
|
2,517 TEU | 1998 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1369 |
CMA CGM MALTA
IMO 9301433
|
2,556 TEU | 2004 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1370 |
CMA CGM SALAMANQUE
IMO 9961348
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1371 |
JOLLY CLIVIA
IMO 9444417
|
4,300 TEU | 2007 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1372 |
MSC CORNELIA
IMO 9426817
|
5,083 TEU | 2010 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1373 |
MAERSK BROWNSVILLE
IMO 9313955
|
4,196 TEU | 2007 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1374 |
LICA MAERSK
IMO 9190779
|
3,700 TEU | 2001 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1375 |
SINE A
IMO 9343089
|
2,824 TEU | 2008 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1376 |
SEASPAN LIMA
IMO 9386005
|
1,345 TEU | 2008 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1377 |
SM SEOUL
IMO 9456953
|
4,300 TEU | 2010 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1378 |
MSC GRENADA III
IMO 9275373
|
2,246 TEU | 2003 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1379 |
EMMA A
IMO 9308194
|
2,800 TEU | 2007 |
9.7
|
D |
| 1380 |
MSC VIGO
IMO 9480227
|
5,550 TEU | 2012 |
9.8
|
D |
| 1381 |
SPIRIT OF SINGAPORE
IMO 9362396
|
3,630 TEU | 2007 |
9.8
|
D |
| 1382 |
NORDMAAS
IMO 9822736
|
1,800 TEU | 2019 |
9.8
|
D |
| 1383 |
MSC ALIX 3
IMO 9166651
|
2,452 TEU | 1998 |
9.8
|
D |
| 1384 |
OOCL MONTREAL
IMO 9253739
|
4,402 TEU | 2003 |
9.8
|
D |
| 1385 |
CMA CGM CEBU
IMO 9362736
|
1,795 TEU | 2008 |
9.8
|
D |
| 1386 |
VENTO DI BORA
IMO 9950064
|
1,900 TEU | 2023 |
9.8
|
D |
| 1387 |
ATLANTIC SUN
IMO 9670614
|
3,817 TEU | 2017 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1388 |
ALGECIRAS EXPRESS
IMO 9227015
|
4,253 TEU | 2002 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1389 |
MSC ENGLAND
IMO 9232890
|
4,132 TEU | 2001 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1390 |
MSC EAGLE III
IMO 9302449
|
2,478 TEU | 2004 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1391 |
BALTIMORE STAR
IMO 9440796
|
4,300 TEU | 2009 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1392 |
PEPI STAR
IMO 9971020
|
1,800 TEU | 2024 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1393 |
RITA
IMO 9301988
|
2,785 TEU | 2007 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1394 |
CAPE SPENCER
IMO 9950129
|
2,713 TEU | 2023 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1395 |
MSC ARUSHI R.
IMO 9244881
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1396 |
MOL EXPERIENCE
IMO 9333838
|
4,803 TEU | 2007 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1397 |
AS PETRONIA
IMO 9286786
|
2,556 TEU | 2004 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1398 |
MSC MILA 3
IMO 9062996
|
2,100 TEU | 1995 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1399 |
NORDAMELIA
IMO 9724958
|
2,500 TEU | 2017 |
9.9
|
D |
| 1400 |
SPIRIT OF SYDNEY
IMO 9391672
|
3,630 TEU | 2007 |
9.9
|
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.