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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 |
APL LE HAVRE
IMO 9461881
|
10,106 TEU | 2012 |
5.8
|
B |
| 602 |
MAERSK COPENHAGEN
IMO 9525405
|
4,500 TEU | 2012 |
5.8
|
B |
| 603 |
TAYMA EXPRESS
IMO 9525895
|
13,296 TEU | 2012 |
5.8
|
B |
| 604 |
CAPE SOUNIO
IMO 9727625
|
11,000 TEU | 2017 |
5.8
|
B |
| 605 |
CMA CGM URAL
IMO 9705079
|
10,622 TEU | 2015 |
5.8
|
B |
| 606 |
MSC CLORINDA
IMO 9484429
|
14,000 TEU | 2012 |
5.8
|
B |
| 608 |
CSCL URANUS
IMO 9467304
|
13,300 TEU | 2012 |
5.8
|
B |
| 607 |
MSC MUMBAI VIII
IMO 9294991
|
8,400 TEU | 2005 |
5.8
|
B |
| 610 |
MSC NAIROBI X
IMO 9605243
|
9,400 TEU | 2013 |
5.9
|
B |
| 609 |
MH PERSEUS
IMO 9967433
|
7,000 TEU | 2021 |
5.9
|
B |
| 611 |
CMA CGM GANGES
IMO 9718117
|
10,000 TEU | 2013 |
5.9
|
B |
| 612 |
COSCO NETHERLANDS
IMO 9516430
|
13,386 TEU | 2008 |
5.9
|
B |
| 613 |
MAERSK SAN LAZARO
IMO 9717216
|
10,600 TEU | 2015 |
5.9
|
B |
| 614 |
MSC MOMBASA
IMO 9967275
|
8,002 TEU | 2024 |
5.9
|
B |
| 616 |
ELEONORA MAERSK
IMO 9321500
|
11,000 TEU | 2004 |
5.9
|
B |
| 615 |
EMMA MAERSK
IMO 9321483
|
11,000 TEU | 2004 |
5.9
|
B |
| 618 |
COPIAPO
IMO 9687526
|
9,326 TEU | 2014 |
5.9
|
B |
| 617 |
CMA CGM ZEPHYR
IMO 9882487
|
15,000 TEU | 2021 |
5.9
|
B |
| 619 |
MAERSK GIBRALTAR
IMO 9739692
|
10,100 TEU | 2016 |
5.9
|
B |
| 621 |
APL COLUMBUS
IMO 9597525
|
9,200 TEU | 2014 |
5.9
|
B |
| 620 |
EVER TOP
IMO 9665619
|
13,800 TEU | 2014 |
5.9
|
B |
| 622 |
MSC EMMA
IMO 9463047
|
10,000 TEU | 2011 |
5.9
|
B |
| 623 |
CMA CGM FORT BOURBON
IMO 9966752
|
7,600 TEU | 2024 |
5.9
|
B |
| 624 |
ONE RESILIENCE
IMO 9952751
|
7,000 TEU | 2024 |
5.9
|
B |
| 625 |
LEONIDIO
IMO 9618587
|
4,800 TEU | 2014 |
5.9
|
B |
| 626 |
MSC FLAVIA
IMO 9467433
|
12,400 TEU | 2012 |
5.9
|
B |
| 627 |
CAPE AKRITAS
IMO 9706190
|
11,000 TEU | 2016 |
6.0
|
B |
| 628 |
CAPE KORTIA
IMO 9727613
|
11,000 TEU | 2017 |
6.0
|
B |
| 629 |
MSC JOSSELINE
IMO 9842061
|
15,000 TEU | 2019 |
6.0
|
B |
| 631 |
MSC BETTINA
IMO 9399038
|
10,000 TEU | 2010 |
6.0
|
B |
| 630 |
MSC ALINA
IMO 9695016
|
9,000 TEU | 2014 |
6.0
|
B |
| 632 |
MAERSK GUAYAQUIL
IMO 9727871
|
10,100 TEU | 2015 |
6.0
|
B |
| 636 |
GSL CHRISTEL ELISABETH
IMO 9280641
|
5,782 TEU | 2004 |
6.0
|
B |
| 635 |
CAPE TAINARO
IMO 9706205
|
11,000 TEU | 2017 |
6.0
|
B |
| 634 |
CMA CGM THALASSA
IMO 9356294
|
11,000 TEU | 2008 |
6.0
|
B |
| 633 |
MAERSK SAN VINCENT
IMO 9717228
|
10,600 TEU | 2015 |
6.0
|
B |
| 637 |
CMA CGM PHOENIX
IMO 9597501
|
9,200 TEU | 2013 |
6.0
|
B |
| 638 |
EUGEN MAERSK
IMO 9321550
|
11,000 TEU | 2004 |
6.0
|
B |
| 640 |
EDITH MAERSK
IMO 9321548
|
11,000 TEU | 2004 |
6.0
|
B |
| 639 |
MSC EUGENIA
IMO 9785469
|
11,500 TEU | 2022 |
6.0
|
B |
| 642 |
CMA CGM CALLISTO
IMO 9410753
|
11,400 TEU | 2010 |
6.0
|
B |
| 641 |
MSC TERESA
IMO 9469560
|
14,000 TEU | 2011 |
6.0
|
B |
| 643 |
EVER FAITH
IMO 9850525
|
11,000 TEU | 2020 |
6.0
|
B |
| 644 |
VUNG TAU EXPRESS
IMO 9767998
|
10,100 TEU | 2018 |
6.0
|
B |
| 645 |
MSC ALANYA
IMO 9785483
|
12,200 TEU | 2021 |
6.0
|
B |
| 649 |
OOCL BREMERHAVEN
IMO 9979254
|
5,920 TEU | 2024 |
6.1
|
B |
| 648 |
ONE ALTAIR
IMO 9468308
|
9,592 TEU | 2010 |
6.1
|
B |
| 647 |
SAN FERNANDO
IMO 9698642
|
8,714 TEU | 2015 |
6.1
|
B |
| 646 |
MSC BERYL
IMO 9467392
|
12,400 TEU | 2010 |
6.1
|
B |
| 650 |
MSC AMERICA
IMO 9963580
|
15,600 TEU | 2025 |
6.1
|
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.