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 2024. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 248 |
COSCO SHIPPING TAURUS
IMO 9783459
|
17,327 TEU | 2018 |
4.8
|
A |
| 253 |
EVER ACT
IMO 9893905
|
23,764 TEU | 2021 |
4.8
|
A |
| 252 |
ONE MINATO
IMO 9805477
|
14,000 TEU | 2018 |
4.8
|
A |
| 255 |
MSC VIRGINIA
IMO 9908059
|
14,000 TEU | 2022 |
4.9
|
A |
| 257 |
EVER ACME
IMO 9943267
|
24,000 TEU | 2022 |
4.9
|
A |
| 256 |
MAERSK HANGZHOU
IMO 9784300
|
15,282 TEU | 2015 |
4.9
|
A |
| 254 |
MSC KAYLEY
IMO 9927299
|
15,264 TEU | 2023 |
4.9
|
A |
| 258 |
YM WONDERLAND
IMO 9820910
|
14,000 TEU | 2015 |
4.9
|
A |
| 260 |
MSC FATMA
IMO 9927251
|
14,812 TEU | 2022 |
4.9
|
A |
| 259 |
MSC SVEVA
IMO 9708681
|
18,400 TEU | 2015 |
4.9
|
A |
| 261 |
EVER ARM
IMO 9893931
|
23,992 TEU | 2022 |
4.9
|
A |
| 262 |
MSC HAMBURG
IMO 9647461
|
16,652 TEU | 2015 |
4.9
|
A |
| 265 |
COSCO DEVELOPMENT
IMO 9472139
|
13,092 TEU | 2011 |
4.9
|
A |
| 264 |
MSC MIRJAM
IMO 9767376
|
16,909 TEU | 2016 |
4.9
|
A |
| 263 |
MARIT MAERSK
IMO 9632167
|
18,340 TEU | 2011 |
4.9
|
A |
| 266 |
MAERSK SAN CLEMENTE
IMO 9699189
|
9,000 TEU | 2014 |
4.9
|
A |
| 267 |
MAERSK HUACHO
IMO 9848948
|
15,286 TEU | 2019 |
4.9
|
A |
| 268 |
HYUNDAI SATURN
IMO 9725146
|
10,055 TEU | 2016 |
4.9
|
A |
| 269 |
COSCO SHIPPING LIBRA
IMO 9783538
|
17,273 TEU | 2018 |
4.9
|
A |
| 270 |
ONE MANHATTAN
IMO 9689615
|
13,900 TEU | 2015 |
4.9
|
A |
| 273 |
SAN NICOLAS MAERSK
IMO 9622203
|
9,669 TEU | 2013 |
4.9
|
A |
| 272 |
MSC ZOE
IMO 9703318
|
19,224 TEU | 2015 |
4.9
|
A |
| 271 |
ONE FREEDOM
IMO 9934357
|
15,000 TEU | 2022 |
4.9
|
A |
| 274 |
EVER GREET
IMO 9832729
|
20,150 TEU | 2019 |
5.0
|
A |
| 275 |
ALS FIDES
IMO 9938315
|
7,100 TEU | 2023 |
5.0
|
A |
| 276 |
MSC REEF
IMO 9754965
|
17,664 TEU | 2016 |
5.0
|
A |
| 277 |
COSCO SHIPPING GALAXY
IMO 9795634
|
21,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.0
|
A |
| 279 |
EVER GRADE
IMO 9820855
|
20,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.0
|
A |
| 278 |
EVER AIM
IMO 9893917
|
23,764 TEU | 2021 |
5.0
|
A |
| 282 |
MUNICH MAERSK
IMO 9778806
|
20,568 TEU | 2017 |
5.0
|
A |
| 281 |
MATZ MAERSK
IMO 9619983
|
18,270 TEU | 2011 |
5.0
|
A |
| 280 |
CMA CGM GREENLAND
IMO 9895006
|
15,000 TEU | 2022 |
5.0
|
A |
| 283 |
CMA CGM IVANHOE
IMO 9365805
|
9,661 TEU | 2008 |
5.0
|
A |
| 284 |
MSC DARIA
IMO 9927287
|
14,812 TEU | 2023 |
5.0
|
A |
| 286 |
MSC ISTANBUL
IMO 9606326
|
16,652 TEU | 2015 |
5.0
|
A |
| 285 |
COSCO SHIPPING CAPRICORN
IMO 9783514
|
20,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.0
|
A |
| 287 |
ONE FRIENDSHIP
IMO 9934369
|
15,000 TEU | 2023 |
5.0
|
A |
| 290 |
CAPE SOUNIO
IMO 9727625
|
11,000 TEU | 2017 |
5.0
|
A |
| 289 |
AL JASRAH
IMO 9732321
|
15,000 TEU | 2016 |
5.0
|
A |
| 288 |
EVER ACE
IMO 9893890
|
23,764 TEU | 2021 |
5.0
|
A |
| 291 |
COSCO FAITH
IMO 9472141
|
13,092 TEU | 2012 |
5.0
|
A |
| 292 |
EVER ATOP
IMO 9893993
|
24,004 TEU | 2022 |
5.0
|
A |
| 294 |
MSC LUCIANA
IMO 9398383
|
11,700 TEU | 2009 |
5.0
|
A |
| 293 |
MAERSK CAMPBELL
IMO 9924209
|
15,500 TEU | 2022 |
5.0
|
A |
| 298 |
MAERSK CINCINNATI
IMO 9936410
|
15,500 TEU | 2024 |
5.0
|
A |
| 297 |
MSC BIANCA SILVIA
IMO 9930935
|
15,500 TEU | 2023 |
5.0
|
A |
| 296 |
CMA CGM LOUIS BLERIOT
IMO 9776432
|
20,600 TEU | 2018 |
5.0
|
A |
| 295 |
MSC DILETTA
IMO 9897004
|
23,656 TEU | 2021 |
5.0
|
A |
| 300 |
MSC ORION
IMO 9857157
|
15,000 TEU | 2020 |
5.0
|
A |
| 299 |
AFIF
IMO 9732345
|
15,000 TEU | 2017 |
5.0
|
A |
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 2024 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.