VesselBot Finds 31% Emissions-Intensity Gap Between Carriers on Same Trade Lane

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday August 27, 2026

Container shipping emissions performance can vary sharply between carriers operating on the same trade lane, with vessel deployment and utilization emerging as key factors, according to a report from technology company VesselBot.

The analysis of 86,389 voyages by 6,523 container ships found global well-to-wake emissions intensity increased 1.5% year on year in Q2 2026 to 231.7 g CO2e per TEU km, it said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

However, five of the six vessel-size categories improved, with only feeder vessels recording a deterioration.

The report found a 31.3% emissions-intensity gap between Hapag-Lloyd and MSC on direct services between Northern Europe and the US East Coast.

Hapag-Lloyd recorded an average intensity of 80.7 g CO2e per TEU km, compared with 117.5 g CO2e per TEU km for MSC, despite similar distances and port pairs.

VesselBot said higher utilization and cargo volumes were major drivers of the efficiency differences.

The most efficient voyages averaged 80% utilisation, compared with 31% for the least efficient.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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