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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1551 |
PIONEER IV
IMO 9449120
|
3,635 TEU | 2012 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1552 |
PUERTO LIMON EXPRESS
IMO 9434943
|
2,550 TEU | 2009 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1553 |
MSC ZONDA III
IMO 9436472
|
3,534 TEU | 2008 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1554 |
MSC CANCUN IV
IMO 9403396
|
4,300 TEU | 2009 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1555 |
TOMRIZ A
IMO 9126754
|
1,119 TEU | 1997 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1556 |
SPARTEL TRADER
IMO 9243203
|
3,237 TEU | 2000 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1557 |
GSL ELIZABETH
IMO 9308429
|
2,700 TEU | 2006 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1558 |
CHIQUITA EXPRESS
IMO 9304758
|
2,490 TEU | 2005 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1559 |
ETE N
IMO 9509126
|
2,758 TEU | 2012 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1560 |
SASKIA A
IMO 9315927
|
2,824 TEU | 2007 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1561 |
GERHARD SCHULTE
IMO 9328481
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1562 |
NAVIOS DOMINO
IMO 9478494
|
4,250 TEU | 2008 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1563 |
SEATRADE CHILE
IMO 9976202
|
24,145 | 2024 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1564 |
VIVIEN A
IMO 9491848
|
2,478 TEU | 2007 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1565 |
CMA CGM AMERICA
IMO 9295971
|
4,043 TEU | 2006 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1566 |
MSC TASMAN VI
IMO 9189342
|
5,248 TEU | 2000 |
11.2
|
D |
| 1567 |
MSC AGATA III
IMO 9304734
|
2,490 TEU | 2004 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1568 |
CMA CGM SHAKESPEARE
IMO 9780653
|
2,155 TEU | 2017 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1569 |
HSL NIKE
IMO 9301457
|
2,556 TEU | 2005 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1570 |
CMA CGM AFRICA THREE
IMO 9451939
|
3,600 TEU | 2010 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1571 |
DUBLIN EXPRESS
IMO 9232577
|
4,115 TEU | 2002 |
11.3
|
D |
| 1572 |
MIMMI SCHULTE
IMO 9743473
|
2,239 TEU | 2017 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1573 |
CMA CGM PREGOLIA
IMO 9745500
|
2,636 TEU | 2018 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1574 |
CMA CGM SAIGON
IMO 9357547
|
1,700 TEU | 2008 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1575 |
MAERSK VENEZIA
IMO 9344681
|
1,819 TEU | 2007 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1576 |
ROZA A
IMO 9126742
|
1,119 TEU | 1997 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1577 |
MONTREAL EXPRESS
IMO 9253741
|
4,402 TEU | 2003 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1578 |
MSC REET II
IMO 9236224
|
1,400 TEU | 2002 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1579 |
MSC AQUARIUS VII
IMO 9262704
|
6,492 TEU | 2003 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1580 |
MSC MELANI III
IMO 9399741
|
2,750 TEU | 2007 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1581 |
HYUNDAI TOKYO
IMO 9305673
|
6,800 TEU | 2006 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1582 |
SC HOUSTON
IMO 9445904
|
2,758 TEU | 2010 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1583 |
CONTAINERSHIPS BOREALIS
IMO 9866249
|
1,368 TEU | 2021 |
11.4
|
D |
| 1584 |
MAIRA
IMO 9203502
|
2,506 TEU | 2000 |
11.5
|
D |
| 1585 |
CONSTANTINOS P II
IMO 9461623
|
4,250 TEU | 2011 |
11.5
|
D |
| 1586 |
HILDE A
IMO 9305908
|
1,560 TEU | 2003 |
11.5
|
D |
| 1587 |
GSL ALICE
IMO 9509164
|
3,400 TEU | 2014 |
11.5
|
D |
| 1588 |
CMA CGM BLUE
IMO 9756107
|
2,259 TEU | 2017 |
11.5
|
D |
| 1589 |
ITAL WIT
IMO 9950791
|
2,300 TEU | 2024 |
11.5
|
D |
| 1590 |
MSC ANTWERP III
IMO 9304746
|
2,490 TEU | 2005 |
11.5
|
D |
| 1591 |
EGY SKY
IMO 9366483
|
1,147 TEU | 2007 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1592 |
MAERSK NEW DELHI
IMO 9402627
|
2,546 TEU | 2009 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1593 |
LUTETIA
IMO 9246695
|
3,091 TEU | 2005 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1594 |
MSC VANQUISH II
IMO 9242625
|
1,768 TEU | 2001 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1595 |
CHIQUITA TRADER
IMO 9304760
|
2,490 TEU | 2005 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1596 |
SEASPAN MONTEVIDEO
IMO 9385984
|
2,546 TEU | 2008 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1597 |
EM CORFU
IMO 9231494
|
2,530 TEU | 2001 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1598 |
IRENES REMEDY
IMO 9315850
|
2,826 TEU | 2005 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1599 |
NYSTED MAERSK
IMO 9220897
|
2,226 TEU | 2001 |
11.6
|
D |
| 1600 |
AS SARA
IMO 9410272
|
1,713 TEU | 2010 |
11.6
|
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.