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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 |
ATLANTIC GENEVA
IMO 9330848
|
1,100 TEU | 2007 |
19.4
|
E |
| 2002 |
KATHARINA
IMO 9584865
|
1,036 TEU | 2012 |
19.6
|
E |
| 2003 |
MSC VERA F
IMO 9235610
|
1,100 TEU | 2003 |
19.6
|
E |
| 2004 |
CONTSHIP ACE
IMO 9348637
|
1,267 TEU | 2008 |
19.7
|
E |
| 2005 |
REPUBBLICA DEL BRASILE
IMO 9138422
|
1,520 TEU | 1998 |
19.7
|
E |
| 2006 |
SC MEMPHIS
IMO 9324174
|
1,200 TEU | 2005 |
19.7
|
E |
| 2007 |
WEC VERMEER
IMO 9237371
|
868 TEU | 2001 |
19.8
|
E |
| 2008 |
WEC VAN RUYSDAEL
IMO 9287792
|
804 TEU | 2004 |
19.8
|
E |
| 2009 |
VERA RAMBOW
IMO 9432220
|
1,425 TEU | 2008 |
19.8
|
E |
| 2010 |
KINGSTON TRADER
IMO 9162679
|
864 TEU | 1997 |
19.8
|
E |
| 2011 |
WEC FRANS HALS
IMO 9326964
|
862 TEU | 2005 |
19.8
|
E |
| 2012 |
HELENA
IMO 9584487
|
1,036 TEU | 2012 |
19.8
|
E |
| 2013 |
MEDKON GEMLIK
IMO 9103350
|
652 TEU | 1996 |
19.8
|
E |
| 2014 |
MARBURG
IMO 9387592
|
880 TEU | 2009 |
19.9
|
E |
| 2015 |
GRAN BRETAGNA
IMO 9143702
|
750 TEU | 1999 |
19.9
|
E |
| 2016 |
BG SAPPHIRE
IMO 9803699
|
955 TEU | 2018 |
20.0
|
E |
| 2017 |
SAMSKIP TOUBKAL
IMO 9584475
|
1,036 TEU | 2012 |
20.0
|
E |
| 2018 |
BG DIAMOND
IMO 9803675
|
955 TEU | 2017 |
20.0
|
E |
| 2019 |
ATLANTIC MONACO
IMO 9356658
|
1,028 TEU | 2008 |
20.0
|
E |
| 2020 |
EVER PRIDE
IMO 9249233
|
1,206 TEU | 2003 |
20.0
|
E |
| 2021 |
ADMIRAL NEPTUNE
IMO 9354387
|
868 TEU | 2007 |
20.1
|
E |
| 2022 |
SSF LILY
IMO 9318266
|
1,155 TEU | 2005 |
20.1
|
E |
| 2023 |
MEL SPIRIT
IMO 9237369
|
868 TEU | 2001 |
20.1
|
E |
| 2024 |
NORDICA
IMO 9483695
|
1,036 TEU | 2011 |
20.1
|
E |
| 2025 |
MARTI WIND
IMO 9386976
|
1,300 TEU | 2008 |
20.1
|
E |
| 2026 |
NEUENFELDE
IMO 9231846
|
868 TEU | 2001 |
20.2
|
E |
| 2027 |
NAAMA BORCHARD
IMO 9242558
|
868 TEU | 2002 |
20.2
|
E |
| 2028 |
MED CORLU
IMO 9106479
|
1,055 TEU | 1995 |
20.2
|
E |
| 2029 |
MORAGA
IMO 9220067
|
1,197 TEU | 2001 |
20.2
|
E |
| 2030 |
ATLANTIC GREEN
IMO 9354404
|
868 TEU | 2006 |
20.2
|
E |
| 2031 |
ELBWIND
IMO 9483334
|
1,036 TEU | 2012 |
20.3
|
E |
| 2032 |
BIANCA RAMBOW
IMO 9297591
|
862 TEU | 2004 |
20.3
|
E |
| 2033 |
AILA
IMO 9354337
|
908 TEU | 2007 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2034 |
HERCULES J
IMO 9430193
|
786 TEU | 2009 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2035 |
LEYLA KALKAVAN
IMO 9126924
|
1,145 TEU | 1997 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2036 |
ELBTEAM
IMO 9429273
|
880 TEU | 2012 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2037 |
ALDEBARAN J
IMO 9349186
|
850 TEU | 2006 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2038 |
ATLANTIC MERCHANT
IMO 9378929
|
1,100 TEU | 2008 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2039 |
TITAN
IMO 9126998
|
1,122 TEU | 1996 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2040 |
X-PRESS SOUSSE
IMO 9354349
|
868 TEU | 2006 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2041 |
CONTAINERSHIPS VIII
IMO 9336244
|
832 TEU | 2006 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2042 |
MEDKON SAMSUN
IMO 9305934
|
707 TEU | 2004 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2043 |
GRANDE GHANA
IMO 9343168
|
1,318 TEU | 2009 |
20.4
|
E |
| 2044 |
GRANDE ELLADE
IMO 9220627
|
753 TEU | 2001 |
20.5
|
E |
| 2045 |
ELBTRADER
IMO 9388534
|
974 TEU | 2008 |
20.5
|
E |
| 2046 |
MEDKON NLS
IMO 9390812
|
657 TEU | 2006 |
20.5
|
E |
| 2047 |
ELBIA
IMO 9326990
|
862 TEU | 2006 |
20.6
|
E |
| 2048 |
NORDIC ITALIA
IMO 9474395
|
1,085 TEU | 2012 |
20.6
|
E |
| 2049 |
SALGUEIRO
IMO 9301562
|
1,100 TEU | 2005 |
20.6
|
E |
| 2050 |
TUNADAL
IMO 9429235
|
880 TEU | 2012 |
20.7
|
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 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.