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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 402 |
YM TARGET
IMO 9860934
|
12,690 TEU | 2021 |
5.0
|
A |
| 404 |
CMA CGM ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPERY
IMO 9776418
|
20,600 TEU | 2018 |
5.0
|
A |
| 401 |
MSC AMBRA
IMO 9839480
|
22,000 TEU | 2020 |
5.0
|
A |
| 409 |
NORFOLK EXPRESS
IMO 9665592
|
13,800 TEU | 2013 |
5.0
|
A |
| 408 |
AL MURAYKH
IMO 9708863
|
18,800 TEU | 2015 |
5.0
|
A |
| 405 |
COSCO SHIPPING GALAXY
IMO 9795634
|
21,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.0
|
A |
| 403 |
CMA CGM PELLEAS
IMO 9365788
|
9,661 TEU | 2008 |
5.0
|
A |
| 407 |
COSCO SHIPPING HIMALAYAS
IMO 9757840
|
13,636 TEU | 2017 |
5.0
|
A |
| 406 |
COSCO SHIPPING NEBULA
IMO 9795622
|
21,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.0
|
A |
| 412 |
MAERSK SAN CLEMENTE
IMO 9699189
|
9,000 TEU | 2014 |
5.0
|
A |
| 411 |
MAERSK CLEVELAND
IMO 9936408
|
15,500 TEU | 2023 |
5.0
|
A |
| 410 |
ONE FREEDOM
IMO 9934357
|
15,000 TEU | 2022 |
5.0
|
A |
| 413 |
MSC FEBE
IMO 9839478
|
22,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.0
|
A |
| 414 |
APL RAFFLES
IMO 9631979
|
13,892 TEU | 2013 |
5.0
|
A |
| 415 |
COSCO SHIPPING KILIMANJARO
IMO 9757852
|
13,636 TEU | 2017 |
5.0
|
A |
| 419 |
MSC OSCAR
IMO 9703291
|
18,400 TEU | 2014 |
5.0
|
A |
| 418 |
UMM QARN
IMO 9732333
|
15,000 TEU | 2016 |
5.0
|
A |
| 417 |
MSC PALOMA
IMO 9441001
|
13,200 TEU | 2010 |
5.0
|
A |
| 416 |
HMM FOREST
IMO 9998470
|
100,902 | 2025 |
5.0
|
A |
| 420 |
EVER AEON
IMO 9943279
|
24,004 TEU | 2024 |
5.0
|
A |
| 422 |
CHARLESTON EXPRESS
IMO 9665645
|
13,800 TEU | 2014 |
5.0
|
A |
| 421 |
MUNKEBO MAERSK
IMO 9632117
|
18,270 TEU | 2014 |
5.0
|
A |
| 425 |
YM WIDTH
IMO 9708447
|
14,198 TEU | 2016 |
5.0
|
A |
| 424 |
YM WELLHEAD
IMO 9684665
|
14,080 TEU | 2015 |
5.0
|
A |
| 423 |
APL CHANGI
IMO 9631981
|
13,892 TEU | 2013 |
5.0
|
A |
| 427 |
ATLANTA EXPRESS
IMO 9667162
|
13,800 TEU | 2014 |
5.0
|
A |
| 426 |
AL MASHRAB
IMO 9732319
|
15,000 TEU | 2016 |
5.0
|
A |
| 429 |
MSC ORION
IMO 9857157
|
15,000 TEU | 2020 |
5.0
|
A |
| 428 |
MSC DIANA
IMO 9755933
|
17,590 TEU | 2016 |
5.0
|
A |
| 430 |
MSC MARA
IMO 9932892
|
15,600 TEU | 2023 |
5.0
|
A |
| 433 |
SAN AUGUSTIN MAERSK
IMO 9622239
|
9,669 TEU | 2013 |
5.0
|
A |
| 435 |
COSCO SHIPPING STAR
IMO 9795658
|
21,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.0
|
A |
| 432 |
HMM PRIDE
IMO 9637260
|
13,154 TEU | 2014 |
5.0
|
A |
| 431 |
HYUNDAI JUPITER
IMO 9725134
|
10,055 TEU | 2016 |
5.0
|
A |
| 434 |
YM TROPHY
IMO 9789996
|
14,000 TEU | 2022 |
5.0
|
A |
| 437 |
MSC MINA
IMO 9839260
|
22,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.1
|
A |
| 436 |
EVER MASS
IMO 9935234
|
15,000 TEU | 2024 |
5.1
|
A |
| 443 |
CMA CGM ADONIS
IMO 9882528
|
15,000 TEU | 2022 |
5.1
|
A |
| 442 |
HOUSTON EXPRESS
IMO 9667150
|
13,800 TEU | 2014 |
5.1
|
A |
| 444 |
MSC LUCIANA
IMO 9398383
|
11,700 TEU | 2009 |
5.1
|
A |
| 441 |
CMA CGM EVERGLADE
IMO 9894985
|
15,000 TEU | 2022 |
5.1
|
A |
| 440 |
EVER GOLDEN
IMO 9811012
|
20,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.1
|
A |
| 439 |
BARZAN
IMO 9708851
|
18,691 TEU | 2015 |
5.1
|
A |
| 438 |
CMA CGM BRAZIL
IMO 9860245
|
15,128 TEU | 2020 |
5.1
|
A |
| 446 |
OOCL INDONESIA
IMO 9776224
|
21,100 TEU | 2018 |
5.1
|
B |
| 445 |
MSC TOGO
IMO 9974486
|
8,300 TEU | 2025 |
5.1
|
B |
| 447 |
MSC KAYLEY
IMO 9927299
|
15,264 TEU | 2023 |
5.1
|
B |
| 450 |
MSC MIRJA
IMO 9762338
|
15,909 TEU | 2016 |
5.1
|
B |
| 449 |
COSCO SHIPPING ROSE
IMO 9785809
|
13,500 TEU | 2018 |
5.1
|
B |
| 448 |
MAERSK CINCINNATI
IMO 9936410
|
15,500 TEU | 2024 |
5.1
|
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.