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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1651 |
MAERSK WAKAYAMA
IMO 9550357
|
1,577 TEU | 2010 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1652 |
SAGAMORE
IMO 9322009
|
1,730 TEU | 2008 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1653 |
MSC CLAUDIA
IMO 9113446
|
1,205 TEU | 1996 |
12.1
|
D |
| 1654 |
RIYADH MUKAAB
IMO 9399806
|
2,750 TEU | 2010 |
12.2
|
D |
| 1655 |
MSC SINES R
IMO 9210098
|
3,430 TEU | 2001 |
12.2
|
D |
| 1656 |
VIOLETTA
IMO 9344710
|
1,875 TEU | 2007 |
12.2
|
D |
| 1657 |
ECO PONENTE
IMO 9985966
|
13,661 | 2024 |
12.2
|
D |
| 1658 |
MSC WIND II
IMO 9173135
|
2,169 TEU | 1999 |
12.2
|
D |
| 1659 |
NCL VESTLAND
IMO 9981790
|
1,300 TEU | 2025 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1660 |
CMA CGM AGATHA
IMO 9763722
|
2,338 TEU | 2016 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1661 |
LUCIE SCHULTE
IMO 9301926
|
2,602 TEU | 2006 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1662 |
BAHRI JEDDAH
IMO 9626522
|
1,009 TEU | 2014 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1663 |
AS CLAUDIA
IMO 9330549
|
2,824 TEU | 2007 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1664 |
PANDA 005
IMO 9981063
|
1,400 TEU | 2022 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1665 |
VALDIVIA
IMO 9333395
|
1,678 TEU | 2006 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1666 |
ANTIBES EXPRESS
IMO 9243186
|
3,237 TEU | 2002 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1667 |
DELPHIS RIGA
IMO 9780665
|
2,155 TEU | 2017 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1668 |
AS CARELIA
IMO 9309409
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1669 |
CTM ISTMO
IMO 9430870
|
1,740 TEU | 2010 |
12.3
|
D |
| 1670 |
MSC TAMPA
IMO 9317925
|
5,041 TEU | 2006 |
12.4
|
D |
| 1671 |
ADMIRAL GALAXY
IMO 9365843
|
1,849 TEU | 2008 |
12.4
|
D |
| 1672 |
CMA CGM AMBARLI
IMO 9436422
|
3,534 TEU | 2008 |
12.4
|
D |
| 1673 |
LUEBECK
IMO 9216092
|
1,040 TEU | 2001 |
12.4
|
D |
| 1674 |
CMA CGM GREEN
IMO 9810915
|
2,268 TEU | 2019 |
12.5
|
D |
| 1675 |
CLAIRE A
IMO 9379387
|
1,604 TEU | 2005 |
12.5
|
D |
| 1676 |
JOHANNES MAERSK
IMO 9215189
|
2,840 TEU | 2001 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1677 |
MSC BREMERHAVEN V
IMO 9313967
|
4,196 TEU | 2007 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1678 |
MSC MELTEMI III
IMO 9440306
|
2,758 TEU | 2010 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1679 |
ECO ZEPHYR
IMO 9985978
|
13,665 | 2024 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1680 |
MSC PANAYA
IMO 9217565
|
1,728 TEU | 2000 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1681 |
NORDLUCHS
IMO 9673666
|
1,730 TEU | 2014 |
12.6
|
D |
| 1682 |
GFS RHEA
IMO 9373486
|
1,732 TEU | 2007 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1683 |
GALANI
IMO 9337597
|
1,732 TEU | 2006 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1684 |
MSC KAYLA
IMO 9242637
|
1,768 TEU | 2002 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1685 |
UBENA
IMO 9690078
|
2,268 TEU | 2016 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1686 |
CAPE FERROL
IMO 9359325
|
1,440 TEU | 2008 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1687 |
A LA MARINE
IMO 9386524
|
1,440 TEU | 2009 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1688 |
EM HYDRA
IMO 9338967
|
1,740 TEU | 2005 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1689 |
BUXLINK
IMO 9235816
|
2,478 TEU | 2002 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1690 |
MSC ESHA III
IMO 9326706
|
2,700 TEU | 2007 |
12.7
|
D |
| 1691 |
BELITAKI
IMO 9152923
|
1,684 TEU | 1998 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1692 |
GSL LALO
IMO 9330525
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1693 |
MARIANNE SCHULTE
IMO 9694438
|
2,239 TEU | 2015 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1694 |
CMA CGM NACALA
IMO 9550307
|
1,577 TEU | 2009 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1695 |
NIKOLAS
IMO 9203526
|
2,506 TEU | 2000 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1696 |
MSC PAXI II
IMO 9256391
|
1,400 TEU | 2004 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1697 |
PENANG BRIDGE
IMO 9470753
|
1,708 TEU | 2009 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1698 |
NCL NORDLAND
IMO 9981805
|
1,300 TEU | 2025 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1699 |
EA GANNET
IMO 9937476
|
1,528 TEU | 2022 |
12.8
|
D |
| 1700 |
FAYSTON FARMS
IMO 9344552
|
2,490 TEU | 2006 |
12.8
|
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.