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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1451 |
AS NINA
IMO 9401178
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1452 |
MSC MADISON II
IMO 9231119
|
1,678 TEU | 2002 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1453 |
VIKING ORCA
IMO 9555254
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1454 |
JOLLY ROSA
IMO 9484534
|
4,400 TEU | 2010 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1455 |
ELISABETH P.
IMO 9320142
|
2,700 TEU | 2005 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1456 |
AS PALINA
IMO 9283693
|
2,556 TEU | 2004 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1457 |
CONTAINERSHIPS AURORA
IMO 9814014
|
1,368 TEU | 2019 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1458 |
PORT GDYNIA
IMO 9334387
|
3,091 TEU | 2011 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1459 |
PANTHER
IMO 9138276
|
2,470 TEU | 1998 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1460 |
ITAL BONNY
IMO 9786970
|
2,800 TEU | 2015 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1461 |
MERSIN EXPRESS
IMO 9740653
|
1,730 TEU | 2017 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1462 |
MED SAMSUN
IMO 9225794
|
2,226 TEU | 2003 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1463 |
MSC MOSS III
IMO 9445916
|
2,758 TEU | 2011 |
10.3
|
D |
| 1464 |
ERASMUS NINJA
IMO 9339583
|
2,500 TEU | 2007 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1465 |
WANDA A
IMO 9415947
|
1,604 TEU | 2008 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1466 |
JPO VENUS
IMO 9351608
|
4,254 TEU | 2010 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1467 |
CMA CGM LAPIS
IMO 9386495
|
4,300 TEU | 2009 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1468 |
CMA CGM SAVANNAH
IMO 9348431
|
4,025 TEU | 2008 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1469 |
AS CYPRIA
IMO 9315812
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1470 |
NAVIOS VERMILION
IMO 9324837
|
4,250 TEU | 2007 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1471 |
NEOKASTRO
IMO 9400215
|
4,043 TEU | 2011 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1472 |
MONTPELLIER
IMO 9314973
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1473 |
MSC SALINA III
IMO 9440150
|
2,758 TEU | 2009 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1474 |
XIN CHONG QING
IMO 9262118
|
4,051 TEU | 2003 |
10.4
|
D |
| 1475 |
MSC JENNY II
IMO 9000742
|
2,045 TEU | 1995 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1476 |
CMA CGM TARRAGONA
IMO 9471214
|
4,250 TEU | 2010 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1477 |
MSC VIDISHA R.
IMO 9227326
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1478 |
GREAT ABIDJAN
IMO 9935040
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1479 |
CHANCE
IMO 9939890
|
1,868 TEU | 2024 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1480 |
CMA CGM LOUGA
IMO 9745550
|
2,636 TEU | 2018 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1481 |
CMA CGM WHITE
IMO 9756092
|
2,259 TEU | 2016 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1482 |
MAERSK JALAN
IMO 9294161
|
2,824 TEU | 2005 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1483 |
INDEPENDENT HORIZON
IMO 9334375
|
3,091 TEU | 2008 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1484 |
MSC TAMARA
IMO 9351579
|
4,254 TEU | 2008 |
10.5
|
D |
| 1485 |
INDEPENDENT QUEST
IMO 9246700
|
3,100 TEU | 2005 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1486 |
MSC VAISHNAVI R.
IMO 9227340
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1487 |
MSC ZLATA R.
IMO 9227314
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1488 |
AS CONSTANTINA
IMO 9308390
|
2,700 TEU | 2005 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1489 |
MSC PORTO III
IMO 9299020
|
2,478 TEU | 2004 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1490 |
MSC JENNIFER II
IMO 9433157
|
1,794 TEU | 2009 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1491 |
IZMIT EXPRESS
IMO 9740665
|
1,730 TEU | 2017 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1492 |
VANCOUVER STAR
IMO 9322334
|
4,225 TEU | 2007 |
10.6
|
D |
| 1493 |
GRANDE SCANDINAVIA
IMO 9220615
|
753 TEU | 2001 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1494 |
MAERSK NEWBURY
IMO 9231470
|
2,550 TEU | 1999 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1495 |
CMA CGM PARANAGUA
IMO 9246683
|
3,091 TEU | 2005 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1496 |
RIO GRANDE EXPRESS
IMO 9301823
|
4,253 TEU | 2003 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1497 |
MSC CAGLIARI IV
IMO 9318187
|
3,853 TEU | 2007 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1498 |
ADRASTOS
IMO 9951185
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1499 |
BERNHARD SCHULTE
IMO 9484546
|
4,616 TEU | 2010 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1500 |
MSC NISHA V
IMO 9326768
|
4,298 TEU | 2006 |
10.7
|
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.