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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2051 |
PAFILIA
IMO 9322853
|
712 TEU | 2006 |
25.1
|
E |
| 2052 |
VERONICA B
IMO 9436305
|
803 TEU | 2011 |
25.1
|
E |
| 2053 |
MSC MANON
IMO 9435820
|
916 TEU | 2008 |
25.2
|
E |
| 2054 |
MISIDA
IMO 9348948
|
484 TEU | 2007 |
25.2
|
E |
| 2055 |
MACARENA B
IMO 9277400
|
864 TEU | 2003 |
25.3
|
E |
| 2056 |
LOUISE BORCHARD
IMO 9336294
|
660 TEU | 2006 |
25.3
|
E |
| 2057 |
ILHA DA MADEIRA
IMO 9202077
|
712 TEU | 1999 |
25.3
|
E |
| 2058 |
X-PRESS ELBE
IMO 9483669
|
1,036 TEU | 2010 |
25.5
|
E |
| 2059 |
EMILIA
IMO 9197521
|
700 TEU | 2010 |
25.6
|
E |
| 2060 |
MSC LENA F
IMO 9347762
|
916 TEU | 2006 |
25.7
|
E |
| 2061 |
ENCOUNTER
IMO 9255775
|
750 TEU | 2004 |
25.7
|
E |
| 2062 |
SVEN-D
IMO 9302243
|
809 TEU | 2005 |
25.7
|
E |
| 2063 |
SKY LIGHT
IMO 9118513
|
1,042 TEU | 1996 |
25.7
|
E |
| 2064 |
K-RIVER
IMO 9138355
|
700 TEU | 1997 |
25.7
|
E |
| 2065 |
ENERGY
IMO 9255787
|
750 TEU | 2004 |
25.7
|
E |
| 2066 |
ELBE
IMO 9244180
|
660 TEU | 2001 |
25.7
|
E |
| 2067 |
STAR COMET
IMO 9242596
|
735 TEU | 2002 |
25.8
|
E |
| 2068 |
ENFORCER
IMO 9255737
|
750 TEU | 2003 |
25.9
|
E |
| 2069 |
PLYCA
IMO 9345398
|
660 TEU | 2009 |
25.9
|
E |
| 2070 |
WEGA
IMO 9141118
|
749 TEU | 1996 |
25.9
|
E |
| 2071 |
MEDKON LUNA
IMO 9341976
|
698 TEU | 2007 |
26.0
|
E |
| 2072 |
MAX
IMO 9351098
|
724 TEU | 2006 |
26.0
|
E |
| 2073 |
SALGUEIRO
IMO 9301562
|
1,100 TEU | 2005 |
26.0
|
E |
| 2074 |
CONTSHIP IVY
IMO 9371402
|
925 TEU | 2007 |
26.1
|
E |
| 2075 |
FENJA
IMO 9287716
|
864 TEU | 2003 |
26.1
|
E |
| 2076 |
X-PRESS MULHACEN
IMO 9365960
|
767 TEU | 2008 |
26.2
|
E |
| 2077 |
HANNI
IMO 9188506
|
658 TEU | 1998 |
26.3
|
E |
| 2078 |
ALOPO
IMO 9329564
|
698 TEU | 2004 |
26.3
|
E |
| 2079 |
NJORD
IMO 9349227
|
809 TEU | 2007 |
26.3
|
E |
| 2080 |
SCARLETTA
IMO 9449699
|
916 TEU | 2008 |
26.3
|
E |
| 2081 |
GENCA
IMO 9307372
|
640 TEU | 2007 |
26.3
|
E |
| 2082 |
CONTSHIP SKY
IMO 9403449
|
1,118 TEU | 2008 |
26.4
|
E |
| 2083 |
PANTONIO
IMO 9440576
|
698 TEU | 2007 |
26.4
|
E |
| 2084 |
REBECCA S
IMO 9428205
|
698 TEU | 2007 |
26.4
|
E |
| 2085 |
PACIFIC DALIAN
IMO 9339090
|
698 TEU | 2008 |
26.4
|
E |
| 2086 |
CONTSHIP VIE
IMO 9434802
|
1,100 TEU | 2007 |
26.4
|
E |
| 2087 |
HELENE
IMO 9362956
|
916 TEU | 2007 |
26.6
|
E |
| 2088 |
SKOGAFOSS
IMO 9375252
|
698 TEU | 2007 |
26.6
|
E |
| 2089 |
SPIRIT
IMO 9302255
|
809 TEU | 2005 |
26.6
|
E |
| 2090 |
CMA CGM GOYA
IMO 9365972
|
767 TEU | 2008 |
26.7
|
E |
| 2091 |
RS LISA
IMO 9287704
|
864 TEU | 2003 |
26.8
|
E |
| 2092 |
MONT VENTOUX
IMO 9129586
|
900 TEU | 1996 |
26.8
|
E |
| 2093 |
TRICA
IMO 9307384
|
660 TEU | 2007 |
26.9
|
E |
| 2094 |
RANGER
IMO 9322542
|
804 TEU | 2005 |
26.9
|
E |
| 2095 |
BG RUBY
IMO 9436202
|
803 TEU | 2010 |
27.0
|
E |
| 2096 |
SC PHOENIX
IMO 9236262
|
1,300 TEU | 2001 |
27.1
|
E |
| 2097 |
INSULAR
IMO 9150420
|
647 TEU | 1998 |
27.2
|
E |
| 2098 |
ENDURANCE
IMO 9312200
|
750 TEU | 2005 |
27.4
|
E |
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.