Carrier selection on major container routes can change voyage emissions intensity by up to 35%, according to VesselBot's Q3 2026 analysis of 83,817 voyages. While fleet-wide average emissions intensity remained stable at 235.1 g CO₂e/TEU-km, significant efficiency gaps exist between carriers on the same trade routes, driven by differences in cargo utilization, vessel deployment, and operational conditions rather than absolute emissions alone.
- Carrier choice can impact emissions intensity by up to 35% on major container routes, with gaps ranging from 20-35% across four fronthaul trades.
- On China/East Asia–Northern Europe routes, the most efficient carrier recorded the highest absolute emissions per voyage, proving that cargo utilization matters more than total emissions.
- Fleet-wide average intensity remained stable at 235.1 g CO₂e/TEU-km, but five of six vessel-size categories improved year-over-year, while feeder vessels deteriorated by 1.3%.
- Voyages achieving below 50 g CO₂e/TEU-km averaged 80% utilization, compared to just 32% for those at or above 800 g CO₂e/TEU-km.
- Port time increased 6.2-27.3% across vessel categories, reducing emissions efficiency because vessels consume fuel without generating additional transport work.
On the same trade, the choice of carrier can change a voyage’s well-to-wake (WtW) emissions intensity by as much as 35%, according to Decoding Maritime Emissions, Q3 2026: Stable Intensity, Diverging Voyage Performance, VesselBot’s latest quarterly report.
Across the carriers compared on four major fronthaul trades, the gap between the most and least efficient ranged from 20-35%, while fleet-wide average intensity remained broadly stable at 235.1 g CO₂e/TEU-km (+0.5% year over year).
The report also shows why absolute emissions are a poor measure of efficiency. On the China/East Asia–Northern Europe trade, the carrier with the lowest emissions intensity, out of the three carriers examined, also recorded the highest average emissions per voyage, highlighting the importance of cargo volumes and vessel utilization when assessing environmental performance.
“An average emissions figure may tell us whether the overall market is improving or deteriorating, but it cannot explain what is happening on individual voyages,” says Constantine Komodromos, founder and CEO of VesselBot. “In Q3, we observed relatively stable fleet-wide intensity alongside longer port stays and meaningful differences in carrier efficiency. By examining vessel deployment, actual sailing patterns, cargo utilization and time spent at sea and in port, we can identify what drives those outcomes. For shippers, that distinction matters because emissions data should do more than support reporting. It should provide the evidence needed to evaluate carriers, understand operational inefficiencies and make better transportation decisions.”
Key takeaways:
· Based on an analysis of 83,817 voyages performed by 6,730 container-carrying vessels, the findings highlight the importance of looking beyond aggregate figures to understand the operational conditions shaping transportation efficiency.
· Total emissions fell 1.9% year over year to 55.5 mn tons CO₂e while transport work rose 1.2% to 712 bn TEU-km. Average WtW intensity stayed broadly stable at 235.1 g CO₂e/TEU-km (+0.5%). Tracked voyages fell 2.8%, and average voyage duration rose to 5.3 days, the highest of the first three quarters of 2026.
· Five of six vessel-size categories improved their intensity, while feeders continued to move in the opposite direction. Year-over-year improvements ranged from 3.4% for Panamax to 12.9% for VLCS, but feeder intensity rose 1.3% to 285.9 g CO₂e/TEU-km. With feeders accounting for 65% of all voyages, the findings illustrate why a broadly stable fleet-wide average can conceal different performance trends across vessel categories.
· The Suez Canal Authority reports 166 medium and large containerships transiting between July-September, up from 16 a year earlier. Yet average durations on China/East Asia–Northern Europe (33.2 days) and China/East Asia–Mediterranean (29.7 days) remained close to Q3 2025 and Q2 2026 levels, as most voyages still used the Cape of Good Hope route.
· Average port time per voyage rose 6.2-27.3% year-over-year across vessel categories, with VLCS recording the largest increase, to 2.9 days. On the Northern Europe–North America East Coast trade, port time jumped 52.1% to 2.1 days. Longer port stays can reduce emissions efficiency, because vessels keep consuming fuel without generating additional transport work.
· On direct China/East Asia–Northern Europe voyages, Evergreen recorded the highest average emissions of the three carriers examined (14,273 tons CO₂e), yet achieved the lowest intensity, at 47.4 g CO₂e/TEU-km, about 17% below the trade average of 57.3. Its voyages carried 20,400 TEU on average at 96% utilization. Assessing efficiency requires looking at cargo volume and operating conditions, not absolute emissions alone.
· Voyages below 50 g CO₂e/TEU-km averaged 80% utilization, against 32% for those at or above 800 g. Of the 2,226 highest-intensity voyages, 2,012 (90%) were operated by Feeder and Panamax vessels. At the same time, NeoPanamax and VLCS made up just 7% of voyages but generated 43% of transport work.
