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Container Ship Efficiency Hinges on Vessel Utilization Rates, Data Shows

Container shipping emissions intensity is fundamentally tied to how fully vessels are loaded, according to new analysis. The study tracked 86,389 voyages across 6,523 box ships during the second quarter, finding that overall well-to-wake emissions grew 1.5% year-on-year, driven entirely by increased feeder vessel deployments. Larger ship categories all reduced emissions. The largest vessels, measuring 14,000 teu and above, represented just 7.4% of quarterly voyages yet carried 43.5% of total cargo volumes. Notably, deep-sea routes averaged 80% utilization compared to just 31% on less-efficient services. On the North Europe-North America transatlantic corridor, average emission intensity reached 138g of CO2 per teu/km, with performance varying significantly among carriers operating identical routes.