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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 752 |
CSCL VENUS
IMO 9467251
|
13,300 TEU | 2011 |
6.5
|
B |
| 751 |
ONE HANGZHOU BAY
IMO 9566394
|
8,974 TEU | 2012 |
6.5
|
B |
| 753 |
MAERSK LAGUNA
IMO 9526942
|
7,450 TEU | 2012 |
6.5
|
B |
| 754 |
CMA CGM KHAO SOK
IMO 9925837
|
5,940 TEU | 2023 |
6.5
|
B |
| 755 |
MSC CANDICE
IMO 9339284
|
9,200 TEU | 2007 |
6.5
|
B |
| 758 |
MSC MELINE
IMO 9702077
|
8,800 TEU | 2015 |
6.5
|
B |
| 757 |
NYK VEGA
IMO 9312781
|
9,012 TEU | 2006 |
6.5
|
B |
| 756 |
MSC ELEONORA III
IMO 9064750
|
2,480 TEU | 1994 |
6.5
|
B |
| 760 |
CALLAO EXPRESS
IMO 9777606
|
10,818 TEU | 2016 |
6.6
|
B |
| 759 |
XIAMEN EXPRESS
IMO 9630420
|
10,000 TEU | 2015 |
6.6
|
B |
| 762 |
CMA CGM FORT JAMES
IMO 9966764
|
7,600 TEU | 2024 |
6.6
|
B |
| 761 |
W KAMPALA
IMO 9215311
|
6,802 TEU | 2001 |
6.6
|
B |
| 763 |
ONE HELSINKI
IMO 9588081
|
8,930 TEU | 2012 |
6.6
|
B |
| 764 |
MSC YASHI B
IMO 9778090
|
11,000 TEU | 2018 |
6.6
|
B |
| 768 |
MSC TEXAS
IMO 9318058
|
8,204 TEU | 2006 |
6.6
|
B |
| 765 |
MSC JUDITH
IMO 9299549
|
8,034 TEU | 2006 |
6.6
|
B |
| 767 |
HYUNDAI FORCE
IMO 9347566
|
8,566 TEU | 2008 |
6.6
|
B |
| 766 |
MSC NITYA B
IMO 9778117
|
11,000 TEU | 2017 |
6.6
|
B |
| 771 |
MAERSK LABREA
IMO 9527063
|
8,700 TEU | 2013 |
6.6
|
B |
| 770 |
GUAYAQUIL EXPRESS
IMO 9777620
|
10,818 TEU | 2017 |
6.6
|
B |
| 769 |
MSC TEMA VIII
IMO 9983669
|
8,182 TEU | 2024 |
6.6
|
B |
| 772 |
COSCO PORTUGAL
IMO 9516466
|
13,386 TEU | 2014 |
6.6
|
B |
| 774 |
CMA CGM CENDRILLON
IMO 9449819
|
8,500 TEU | 2009 |
6.6
|
B |
| 773 |
MAERSK SALALAH
IMO 9352016
|
8,400 TEU | 2008 |
6.6
|
B |
| 775 |
ZIM MOONSTONE
IMO 9968073
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
6.6
|
B |
| 777 |
HUBERT SCHULTE
IMO 9535204
|
5,605 TEU | 2012 |
6.6
|
B |
| 776 |
MAERSK LA PAZ
IMO 9526899
|
7,450 TEU | 2011 |
6.6
|
B |
| 778 |
ONE HUMEN
IMO 9302164
|
8,212 TEU | 2007 |
6.7
|
B |
| 779 |
MAERSK LINS
IMO 9527025
|
8,700 TEU | 2012 |
6.7
|
B |
| 781 |
MSC EVEREST VIII
IMO 9286231
|
7,747 TEU | 2004 |
6.7
|
B |
| 780 |
MSC ELMA
IMO 9735218
|
9,400 TEU | 2016 |
6.7
|
B |
| 782 |
MSC FLORENTINA
IMO 9251705
|
6,750 TEU | 2003 |
6.7
|
B |
| 784 |
ANTHEA Y
IMO 9710244
|
9,000 TEU | 2015 |
6.7
|
B |
| 783 |
MAERSK MEMPHIS
IMO 9348651
|
6,188 TEU | 2007 |
6.7
|
B |
| 785 |
GUDRUN MAERSK
IMO 9302877
|
7,668 TEU | 2005 |
6.7
|
B |
| 786 |
OOCL SEOUL
IMO 9417244
|
8,063 TEU | 2010 |
6.7
|
B |
| 787 |
MSC TORONTO
IMO 9299525
|
8,034 TEU | 2006 |
6.7
|
B |
| 788 |
SPEED
IMO 9475698
|
13,100 TEU | 2012 |
6.7
|
B |
| 792 |
COSCO DENMARK
IMO 9516478
|
13,360 TEU | 2014 |
6.7
|
B |
| 794 |
NYK VENUS
IMO 9312793
|
9,012 TEU | 2007 |
6.7
|
B |
| 791 |
ONE HOUSTON
IMO 9566382
|
8,930 TEU | 2012 |
6.7
|
B |
| 790 |
MSC SOFIA CELESTE
IMO 9702091
|
8,800 TEU | 2015 |
6.7
|
B |
| 789 |
APL SAVANNAH
IMO 9597513
|
9,200 TEU | 2010 |
6.7
|
B |
| 793 |
ONE HONG KONG
IMO 9395161
|
8,212 TEU | 2009 |
6.7
|
B |
| 795 |
EVER FOREVER
IMO 9850575
|
11,000 TEU | 2020 |
6.7
|
B |
| 798 |
NYK DEMETER
IMO 9337664
|
4,888 TEU | 2007 |
6.7
|
B |
| 797 |
ONE READINESS
IMO 9952684
|
7,000 TEU | 2023 |
6.7
|
B |
| 796 |
JASPER
IMO 9968061
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
6.7
|
B |
| 800 |
NYK RUMINA
IMO 9416991
|
4,888 TEU | 2010 |
6.7
|
B |
| 799 |
POTOMAC EXPRESS
IMO 9349526
|
6,435 TEU | 2008 |
6.7
|
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.