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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 |
COSCO SHIPPING ARIES
IMO 9783497
|
20,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.0
|
A |
| 302 |
COSCO SHIPPING KILIMANJARO
IMO 9757852
|
13,636 TEU | 2017 |
5.0
|
A |
| 305 |
CMA CGM ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPERY
IMO 9776418
|
20,600 TEU | 2018 |
5.1
|
A |
| 304 |
EVER GENIUS
IMO 9786815
|
20,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.1
|
A |
| 303 |
EVER APEX
IMO 9893979
|
23,764 TEU | 2022 |
5.1
|
A |
| 306 |
MAREN MAERSK
IMO 9632129
|
18,340 TEU | 2014 |
5.1
|
A |
| 307 |
MSC VANDYA
IMO 9484467
|
13,050 TEU | 2012 |
5.1
|
A |
| 308 |
CMA CGM JEAN MERMOZ
IMO 9776420
|
20,600 TEU | 2018 |
5.1
|
A |
| 311 |
AL DHAIL
IMO 9732307
|
15,000 TEU | 2016 |
5.1
|
A |
| 313 |
MUNKEBO MAERSK
IMO 9632117
|
18,270 TEU | 2014 |
5.1
|
A |
| 310 |
MSC ISABELLA
IMO 9839272
|
22,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.1
|
A |
| 314 |
MSC WASHINGTON
IMO 9908047
|
14,428 TEU | 2022 |
5.1
|
A |
| 309 |
ANE MAERSK
IMO 9948748
|
16,592 TEU | 2021 |
5.1
|
A |
| 312 |
AL MURABBA
IMO 9708837
|
15,000 TEU | 2015 |
5.1
|
A |
| 316 |
EA CETUS
IMO 9967495
|
7,092 TEU | 2024 |
5.1
|
A |
| 315 |
CMA CGM RIMBAUD
IMO 9635640
|
6,881 TEU | 2013 |
5.1
|
A |
| 317 |
MSC MELATILDE
IMO 9404675
|
13,200 TEU | 2010 |
5.1
|
A |
| 319 |
MARIBO MAERSK
IMO 9619969
|
18,270 TEU | 2014 |
5.1
|
A |
| 318 |
MSC PALOMA
IMO 9441001
|
13,200 TEU | 2010 |
5.1
|
A |
| 320 |
MSC FAITH
IMO 9842085
|
15,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.1
|
A |
| 321 |
CMA CGM BOUGAINVILLE
IMO 9702156
|
17,722 TEU | 2015 |
5.1
|
A |
| 322 |
CMA CGM ORFEO
IMO 9364992
|
9,661 TEU | 2008 |
5.1
|
A |
| 323 |
MSC TRIESTE
IMO 9484479
|
13,050 TEU | 2011 |
5.1
|
A |
| 324 |
SAN RAPHAEL MAERSK
IMO 9622253
|
9,669 TEU | 2014 |
5.2
|
A |
| 325 |
EVER GOODS
IMO 9810991
|
20,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.2
|
A |
| 327 |
MSC IRENE
IMO 9399040
|
10,000 TEU | 2010 |
5.2
|
A |
| 326 |
ONE RECOGNITION
IMO 9952701
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
5.2
|
A |
| 328 |
MATHILDE MAERSK
IMO 9632179
|
18,340 TEU | 2015 |
5.2
|
A |
| 329 |
HMM DREAM
IMO 9637222
|
13,154 TEU | 2014 |
5.2
|
A |
| 330 |
ZIM RUBY
IMO 9968009
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
5.2
|
A |
| 331 |
EVER GOLDEN
IMO 9811012
|
20,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.2
|
A |
| 332 |
EVER AEON
IMO 9943279
|
24,004 TEU | 2024 |
5.2
|
A |
| 333 |
SALAHUDDIN
IMO 9708796
|
15,000 TEU | 2015 |
5.2
|
A |
| 334 |
EVER GIFTED
IMO 9786827
|
20,000 TEU | 2018 |
5.2
|
A |
| 335 |
MSC LA SPEZIA
IMO 9461403
|
14,000 TEU | 2010 |
5.2
|
A |
| 336 |
MAERSK HERRERA
IMO 9784324
|
15,282 TEU | 2018 |
5.2
|
A |
| 338 |
COYHAIQUE
IMO 9687588
|
9,326 TEU | 2015 |
5.2
|
A |
| 337 |
EVER ARIA
IMO 9909132
|
23,888 TEU | 2022 |
5.2
|
A |
| 339 |
EVER GLOBE
IMO 9786841
|
20,000 TEU | 2019 |
5.2
|
A |
| 341 |
MSC NEW YORK
IMO 9606314
|
16,652 TEU | 2014 |
5.2
|
A |
| 340 |
CMA CGM PATAGONIA
IMO 9894961
|
15,000 TEU | 2021 |
5.2
|
A |
| 342 |
APL RAFFLES
IMO 9631979
|
13,892 TEU | 2013 |
5.3
|
A |
| 343 |
SAN AUGUSTIN MAERSK
IMO 9622239
|
9,669 TEU | 2013 |
5.3
|
A |
| 346 |
MSC BEATRICE
IMO 9399014
|
10,000 TEU | 2009 |
5.3
|
A |
| 345 |
APL LION CITY
IMO 9631967
|
13,892 TEU | 2013 |
5.3
|
A |
| 344 |
CMA CGM G. WASHINGTON
IMO 9780847
|
14,414 TEU | 2017 |
5.3
|
A |
| 350 |
MSC VALERIA
IMO 9461439
|
14,000 TEU | 2012 |
5.3
|
A |
| 349 |
CMA CGM NEVADA
IMO 9471408
|
12,600 TEU | 2011 |
5.3
|
A |
| 348 |
MAJESTIC MAERSK
IMO 9619919
|
18,270 TEU | 2013 |
5.3
|
A |
| 347 |
CMA CGM EVERGLADE
IMO 9894985
|
15,000 TEU | 2022 |
5.3
|
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.