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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 701 |
CMA CGM GEMINI
IMO 9410791
|
11,400 TEU | 2011 |
6.3
|
B |
| 704 |
VALENCE
IMO 9628180
|
8,800 TEU | 2013 |
6.4
|
B |
| 703 |
OOCL CHONGQING
IMO 9622629
|
13,200 TEU | 2013 |
6.4
|
B |
| 702 |
RHINE MAERSK
IMO 9456991
|
4,500 TEU | 2012 |
6.4
|
B |
| 705 |
ONE CONTINUITY
IMO 9388352
|
8,102 TEU | 2008 |
6.4
|
B |
| 706 |
COSCO HOPE
IMO 9472165
|
13,092 TEU | 2012 |
6.4
|
B |
| 709 |
MAERSK COLUMBUS
IMO 9332987
|
6,188 TEU | 2007 |
6.4
|
B |
| 708 |
MSC AURORA
IMO 9484481
|
13,050 TEU | 2012 |
6.4
|
B |
| 707 |
MAERSK CUNENE
IMO 9561485
|
4,496 TEU | 2011 |
6.4
|
B |
| 712 |
MAERSK SELETAR
IMO 9315197
|
5,648 TEU | 2007 |
6.4
|
B |
| 711 |
NYK ORION
IMO 9312999
|
9,040 TEU | 2008 |
6.4
|
B |
| 710 |
LAEM CHABANG EXPRESS
IMO 9768007
|
10,100 TEU | 2018 |
6.4
|
B |
| 713 |
MSC TOMOKO
IMO 9309461
|
8,400 TEU | 2006 |
6.4
|
B |
| 715 |
ONE HAMBURG
IMO 9395159
|
8,212 TEU | 2009 |
6.4
|
B |
| 714 |
MSC RAYSHMI
IMO 9785457
|
12,200 TEU | 2021 |
6.4
|
B |
| 717 |
VALPARAISO EXPRESS
IMO 9777589
|
10,818 TEU | 2016 |
6.4
|
B |
| 716 |
GSL ELENI
IMO 9285677
|
7,455 TEU | 2004 |
6.4
|
B |
| 720 |
YANTIAN EXPRESS
IMO 9229831
|
7,179 TEU | 2002 |
6.4
|
B |
| 719 |
ONE MISSION
IMO 9475650
|
6,724 TEU | 2011 |
6.4
|
B |
| 718 |
MAERSK SEOUL
IMO 9306550
|
8,400 TEU | 2003 |
6.4
|
B |
| 721 |
MSC GAYANE
IMO 9770763
|
9,962 TEU | 2018 |
6.4
|
B |
| 724 |
EVER FRANK
IMO 9850587
|
11,850 TEU | 2021 |
6.4
|
B |
| 723 |
SFL MAUI
IMO 9635688
|
6,900 TEU | 2011 |
6.4
|
B |
| 722 |
MSC LAURENCE
IMO 9467419
|
12,400 TEU | 2011 |
6.4
|
B |
| 725 |
CORCOVADO
IMO 9687564
|
9,326 TEU | 2015 |
6.4
|
B |
| 726 |
MSC GIULIA
IMO 9770737
|
9,400 TEU | 2017 |
6.4
|
B |
| 727 |
RDO GLORY
IMO 9632507
|
4,622 TEU | 2013 |
6.4
|
B |
| 728 |
MSC SINDY
IMO 9336048
|
9,200 TEU | 2007 |
6.4
|
B |
| 731 |
NYK OCEANUS
IMO 9312975
|
8,628 TEU | 2007 |
6.5
|
B |
| 730 |
COSCO FRANCE
IMO 9516416
|
13,386 TEU | 2013 |
6.5
|
B |
| 729 |
JAMAICA EXPRESS
IMO 9686912
|
6,800 TEU | 2015 |
6.5
|
B |
| 732 |
MAERSK CHILKA
IMO 9525364
|
4,500 TEU | 2012 |
6.5
|
B |
| 735 |
ONE ORPHEUS
IMO 9313008
|
9,040 TEU | 2008 |
6.5
|
B |
| 734 |
ANTWERP
IMO 9398448
|
9,262 TEU | 2009 |
6.5
|
B |
| 736 |
MEGALOPOLIS
IMO 9477799
|
4,800 TEU | 2013 |
6.5
|
B |
| 733 |
MSC GISELLE
IMO 9720196
|
9,400 TEU | 2015 |
6.5
|
B |
| 737 |
MAERSK LETICIA
IMO 9526916
|
7,450 TEU | 2011 |
6.5
|
B |
| 740 |
ONE MANEUVER
IMO 9475648
|
6,724 TEU | 2011 |
6.5
|
B |
| 739 |
ZIM RUBY
IMO 9968009
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
6.5
|
B |
| 738 |
APL NEW YORK
IMO 9597484
|
9,200 TEU | 2013 |
6.5
|
B |
| 741 |
MSC PARIS
IMO 9301483
|
8,204 TEU | 2006 |
6.5
|
B |
| 744 |
GSL TINOS
IMO 9437050
|
5,303 TEU | 2010 |
6.5
|
B |
| 743 |
MSC BEIJING
IMO 9289099
|
8,034 TEU | 2005 |
6.5
|
B |
| 742 |
COLORADO EXPRESS
IMO 9349502
|
6,435 TEU | 2008 |
6.5
|
B |
| 747 |
MAERSK LANCO
IMO 9527049
|
8,700 TEU | 2013 |
6.5
|
B |
| 746 |
MSC RAVENNA
IMO 9484431
|
14,000 TEU | 2011 |
6.5
|
B |
| 745 |
MSC TAKORADI VIII
IMO 9983683
|
8,182 TEU | 2024 |
6.5
|
B |
| 750 |
CSCL NEPTUNE
IMO 9467316
|
13,300 TEU | 2012 |
6.5
|
B |
| 749 |
MSC CASSANDRE
IMO 9785471
|
11,500 TEU | 2022 |
6.5
|
B |
| 748 |
MSC MAGNUM VII
IMO 9252541
|
6,750 TEU | 2003 |
6.5
|
B |
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.