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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 651 |
CARTAGENA EXPRESS
IMO 9777618
|
10,818 TEU | 2017 |
6.1
|
B |
| 652 |
ISTANBUL EXPRESS
IMO 9723277
|
9,040 TEU | 2016 |
6.1
|
B |
| 654 |
TRAIGUEN
IMO 9627904
|
8,704 TEU | 2013 |
6.1
|
B |
| 656 |
MSC JAMBOREE IX
IMO 9450363
|
8,400 TEU | 2010 |
6.1
|
B |
| 653 |
MAERSK FELIXSTOWE
IMO 9969041
|
5,920 TEU | 2023 |
6.1
|
B |
| 655 |
ONE RESOLUTION
IMO 9952763
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
6.1
|
B |
| 657 |
OOCL FRANCE
IMO 9622617
|
13,200 TEU | 2011 |
6.1
|
B |
| 659 |
MSC CLEA
IMO 9720524
|
9,411 TEU | 2016 |
6.1
|
B |
| 658 |
MSC MADELEINE
IMO 9305702
|
9,100 TEU | 2006 |
6.1
|
B |
| 660 |
CISNES
IMO 9687576
|
9,326 TEU | 2015 |
6.1
|
B |
| 661 |
MSC PINA
IMO 9339272
|
9,200 TEU | 2007 |
6.1
|
B |
| 663 |
ONE RESPONSIBILITY
IMO 9952775
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
6.2
|
B |
| 662 |
MAERSK DANUBE
IMO 9694579
|
5,380 TEU | 2014 |
6.2
|
B |
| 664 |
MSC DAKAR X
IMO 9605231
|
9,400 TEU | 2013 |
6.2
|
B |
| 666 |
COYHAIQUE
IMO 9687588
|
9,326 TEU | 2015 |
6.2
|
B |
| 665 |
MSC DANIT
IMO 9404649
|
13,200 TEU | 2009 |
6.2
|
B |
| 667 |
MSC CRISTINA
IMO 9465241
|
13,100 TEU | 2011 |
6.2
|
B |
| 668 |
LUDWIGSHAFEN EXPRESS
IMO 9613018
|
13,000 TEU | 2014 |
6.2
|
B |
| 669 |
CSCL MERCURY
IMO 9467275
|
13,300 TEU | 2011 |
6.2
|
B |
| 670 |
CMA CGM AMAZON
IMO 9706308
|
9,288 TEU | 2015 |
6.2
|
B |
| 671 |
MSC RAPALLO
IMO 9484455
|
13,050 TEU | 2011 |
6.2
|
B |
| 673 |
BREMERHAVEN EXPRESS
IMO 9723253
|
9,040 TEU | 2015 |
6.2
|
B |
| 672 |
MSC MARIA SAVERIA
IMO 9467421
|
12,400 TEU | 2011 |
6.2
|
B |
| 675 |
CSCL MARS
IMO 9467287
|
13,300 TEU | 2011 |
6.2
|
B |
| 674 |
EVER LIFTING
IMO 9629122
|
8,000 TEU | 2015 |
6.2
|
B |
| 676 |
YOKOHAMA EXPRESS
IMO 9630418
|
10,100 TEU | 2015 |
6.2
|
B |
| 677 |
MISSOURI EXPRESS
IMO 9349552
|
6,921 TEU | 2008 |
6.2
|
B |
| 678 |
ONE HONOLULU
IMO 9588079
|
8,930 TEU | 2012 |
6.2
|
B |
| 679 |
MAERSK TUKANG
IMO 9334686
|
8,100 TEU | 2008 |
6.2
|
B |
| 680 |
CSCL SATURN
IMO 9467299
|
13,300 TEU | 2011 |
6.2
|
B |
| 683 |
MSC NATASHA XIII
IMO 9463035
|
10,000 TEU | 2011 |
6.2
|
B |
| 682 |
MSC RENEE XIII
IMO 9465306
|
13,100 TEU | 2012 |
6.2
|
B |
| 681 |
MSC CAPELLA
IMO 9465289
|
13,100 TEU | 2012 |
6.2
|
B |
| 686 |
MAERSK GUATEMALA
IMO 9713375
|
10,100 TEU | 2015 |
6.3
|
B |
| 685 |
CMA CGM DALILA
IMO 9450624
|
8,500 TEU | 2011 |
6.3
|
B |
| 687 |
SCI DELHI
IMO 9699127
|
9,034 TEU | 2014 |
6.3
|
B |
| 684 |
ULSAN EXPRESS
IMO 9613020
|
13,000 TEU | 2014 |
6.3
|
B |
| 688 |
CMA CGM COLUMBA
IMO 9410789
|
11,400 TEU | 2011 |
6.3
|
B |
| 689 |
MSC CAROLE
IMO 9785445
|
12,200 TEU | 2021 |
6.3
|
B |
| 690 |
MAERSK SEMBAWANG
IMO 9315226
|
5,648 TEU | 2007 |
6.3
|
B |
| 692 |
MSC ARICA
IMO 9619452
|
8,762 TEU | 2012 |
6.3
|
B |
| 694 |
COSCO ENGLAND
IMO 9516428
|
13,360 TEU | 2008 |
6.3
|
B |
| 693 |
MSC KANOKO
IMO 9842102
|
15,000 TEU | 2019 |
6.3
|
B |
| 691 |
SEASPAN ADONIS
IMO 9468293
|
9,592 TEU | 2010 |
6.3
|
B |
| 695 |
APL VANCOUVER
IMO 9597472
|
9,200 TEU | 2013 |
6.3
|
B |
| 696 |
ALTAMIRA EXPRESS
IMO 9407146
|
5,041 TEU | 2009 |
6.3
|
B |
| 699 |
SANTOS EXPRESS
IMO 9777632
|
10,818 TEU | 2017 |
6.3
|
B |
| 698 |
CSCL JUPITER
IMO 9467263
|
13,300 TEU | 2011 |
6.3
|
B |
| 697 |
MSC EMANUELA
IMO 9399052
|
10,000 TEU | 2010 |
6.3
|
B |
| 700 |
CMA CGM GEMINI
IMO 9410791
|
11,400 TEU | 2011 |
6.3
|
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.