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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1701 |
MARINA L
IMO 9431331
|
1,300 TEU | 2009 |
15.1
|
E |
| 1702 |
MEDKON ANKA
IMO 9366469
|
1,147 TEU | 2007 |
15.1
|
E |
| 1703 |
GRANDE GHANA
IMO 9343168
|
1,318 TEU | 2009 |
15.1
|
E |
| 1704 |
MSC PALATIUM III
IMO 9336165
|
2,500 TEU | 2006 |
15.1
|
E |
| 1705 |
AS SABRINA
IMO 9387463
|
1,700 TEU | 2006 |
15.1
|
E |
| 1706 |
DETTIFOSS
IMO 9822853
|
2,150 TEU | 2020 |
15.2
|
E |
| 1707 |
CONTSHIP SEA
IMO 9306213
|
1,574 TEU | 2007 |
15.2
|
E |
| 1708 |
MANDO
IMO 9175705
|
1,174 TEU | 1999 |
15.2
|
E |
| 1709 |
CELSIUS NEW ORLEANS
IMO 9412842
|
1,577 TEU | 2007 |
15.3
|
E |
| 1710 |
BG GREEN
IMO 9964613
|
1,400 TEU | 2021 |
15.3
|
E |
| 1711 |
TUKUMA ARCTICA
IMO 9822865
|
2,150 TEU | 2020 |
15.3
|
E |
| 1712 |
MSC IRA II
IMO 9323493
|
1,732 TEU | 2007 |
15.3
|
E |
| 1713 |
ANNALISA P
IMO 9437141
|
1,284 TEU | 2008 |
15.3
|
E |
| 1714 |
RUTH BORCHARD
IMO 9212034
|
1,216 TEU | 2000 |
15.3
|
E |
| 1715 |
GRANDE BRASILE
IMO 9198123
|
1,302 TEU | 2000 |
15.4
|
E |
| 1716 |
EAGLE II
IMO 9301122
|
1,300 TEU | 2006 |
15.4
|
E |
| 1717 |
DOUCE FRANCE
IMO 9845661
|
2,200 TEU | 2020 |
15.5
|
E |
| 1718 |
GRANDE AMBURGO
IMO 9246607
|
1,321 TEU | 2003 |
15.5
|
E |
| 1719 |
SPIRIT OF CHENNAI
IMO 9813840
|
1,162 TEU | 2019 |
15.5
|
E |
| 1720 |
JOST
IMO 9477347
|
1,350 TEU | 2010 |
15.5
|
E |
| 1721 |
GRANDE NIGERIA
IMO 9246580
|
1,321 TEU | 2003 |
15.5
|
E |
| 1722 |
VERA D
IMO 9290177
|
1,683 TEU | 2004 |
15.5
|
E |
| 1723 |
GRANDE ATLANTICO
IMO 9130951
|
1,302 TEU | 1999 |
15.6
|
E |
| 1724 |
MSC PAXI II
IMO 9256391
|
1,400 TEU | 2004 |
15.6
|
E |
| 1725 |
CMA CGM FORT ST PIERRE
IMO 9261891
|
2,226 TEU | 2003 |
15.6
|
E |
| 1726 |
JONNI RITSCHER
IMO 9333383
|
1,856 TEU | 2006 |
15.6
|
E |
| 1727 |
SONDERBORG
IMO 9454242
|
1,085 TEU | 2012 |
15.7
|
E |
| 1728 |
ELBELLA
IMO 9312640
|
1,740 TEU | 2006 |
15.7
|
E |
| 1729 |
NORDIC ISTRIA
IMO 9474383
|
1,085 TEU | 2011 |
15.7
|
E |
| 1730 |
MSC AMY
IMO 9242651
|
1,768 TEU | 2002 |
15.7
|
E |
| 1731 |
DANIEL A
IMO 9238064
|
1,208 TEU | 2001 |
15.8
|
E |
| 1732 |
CMA CGM SINNAMARY
IMO 9845673
|
2,200 TEU | 2020 |
15.8
|
E |
| 1733 |
GARWOOD
IMO 9347255
|
1,819 TEU | 2008 |
15.8
|
E |
| 1734 |
AYDOGAN
IMO 9149897
|
1,726 TEU | 1999 |
15.9
|
E |
| 1735 |
GRANDE SAN PAOLO
IMO 9253208
|
1,321 TEU | 2003 |
15.9
|
E |
| 1736 |
GRANDE GUINEA
IMO 9437919
|
800 TEU | 2010 |
15.9
|
E |
| 1737 |
CONTSHIP DAY
IMO 9509786
|
1,496 TEU | 2010 |
15.9
|
E |
| 1738 |
KARLA A
IMO 9297577
|
1,676 TEU | 2003 |
15.9
|
E |
| 1739 |
MSC NITA
IMO 9084607
|
1,512 TEU | 1996 |
15.9
|
E |
| 1740 |
GRANDE BENIN
IMO 9343170
|
800 TEU | 2009 |
16.0
|
E |
| 1741 |
GRANDE SENEGAL
IMO 9377470
|
800 TEU | 2010 |
16.0
|
E |
| 1742 |
GERDA
IMO 9432232
|
1,425 TEU | 2009 |
16.1
|
E |
| 1743 |
GRANDE CONGO
IMO 9437921
|
800 TEU | 2010 |
16.1
|
E |
| 1744 |
MOLIVA
IMO 9454034
|
951 TEU | 2014 |
16.1
|
E |
| 1745 |
AS SELINA
IMO 9516789
|
1,740 TEU | 2012 |
16.1
|
E |
| 1746 |
GRANDE EUROPA
IMO 9138381
|
712 TEU | 1998 |
16.1
|
E |
| 1747 |
GRANDE CAMEROON
IMO 9377482
|
800 TEU | 2010 |
16.1
|
E |
| 1748 |
TAMANRASSET
IMO 9760615
|
1,730 TEU | 2017 |
16.1
|
E |
| 1749 |
REPUBBLICA ARGENTINA
IMO 9138410
|
1,500 TEU | 1998 |
16.2
|
E |
| 1750 |
CMA CGM GULF EXPRESS
IMO 9239874
|
1,679 TEU | 2002 |
16.2
|
E |
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.