The majority of global trade still travels by sea, but carbon rules now tighten every year. OceanScore turns that regulatory drag into one line on a dashboard.

The Challenge: Compliance Math at Vessel Velocity

Maritime decarbonisation is no longer a future vision, it’s a regulatory reality. From the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to FuelEU Maritime and the upcoming IMO Net Zero Framework (NZF), shipowners, charterers, cargo stakeholders, and financiers face increasing complexity in carbon compliance. A single voyage can now trigger obligations across multiple jurisdictions, currencies, and contractual arrangements often without consensus on who owes what, or how much, or how to go about paying or strategising around the penalty.

The result? A tangle of spreadsheets, fragmented data, and costly inefficiencies leaving shipping companies exposed and underprepared.

OceanScore equips the maritime industry with the digital solutions needed to comply with complex emissions regulations – simply, transparently, and collaboratively. They turn regulatory compliance from a burden into a competitive edge.

The Founding Story: A Vessel “Scorecard”?

Founded in 2020 by maritime veterans Albrecht Gundermann and Joerg Molzahn, OceanScore was born from a shared frustration with the lack of reliable, actionable data around vessel emissions and ESG metrics. The team, soon joined by Ralf Garrn, started with ShipReview, addressing the critical gap in portfolio-level emissions benchmarking for financiers.

By 2022, regulatory urgency and customer demand had escalated. To accelerate growth, they brought on Albrecht Grell, formerly of McKinsey and DNV, as Co-Managing Director. His mandate: scale the company from scorecard to platform, respond to the industry’s growing need for EU ETS and FuelEU management, expand across Europe and Asia, and position OceanScore as a central player in maritime decarbonisation.

Fig. 1. Co-Managing Directors, Ralf Garrn and Albrecht Grell.

Growth and Evolution: Scorecards and Real-Time Markets

OceanScore offers 3 core solutions catered to three target groups: Ship owners and managers, freight forwarders and cargo owners, and banks and insurances.

For Ship owners and managers:

• The Compliance Manager manages both EU ETS and FuelEU compliance in one integrated solution, bringing full transparency to environmental compliance. It automates invoicing of charterers based on complex charter party terms, supports advanced forecasting for year-round planning, and delivers clear oversight at both fleet and vessel levels, backed by OceanScore’s expert support.

• The FuelEU Marketplace (as part of the Compliance Manager) offers a transparent, competitive way to pool FuelEU compliance surpluses, connecting you with multiple reputable partners, avoiding hidden fees, and enabling clear price comparisons.

For Freight Forwarders and Cargo Owners

• For freight forwarders and cargo owners who need voyage-specific, accurate carbon emissions data – not industry averages. Built as an API-first solution, CargoFP supports emissions reporting and procurement workflows.

• The foundation of OceanScore’s data ecosystem – providing banks, insurers, and investors with a transparent, independent view of the environmental, safety, and ESG performance of over 130,000 vessels globally.

Proven Impact

OceanScore is now trusted by leading shipping companies including Anglo-Eastern, V.Ships, Hammonia Reederei, as well as the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

• 2,000+ vessels under active compliance management

• Global presence: Germany, Portugal, Poland, Singapore, Greece (with Japan coming soon)

• Key partnerships with DNV, Lloyds Register, StormGeo, ClassNK, RWE and Clyde&Co to name a few

Their collaborative approach with clients: from onboarding workshops to joint product development ensures that every solution is battle-tested and tailored to real-world operations.

Fig. 2. OceanScore's Platform

Looking Ahead: Preparing for Global Changes

Later this year, the IMO will vote on new global rules that could bring in carbon pricing and stricter fuel standards for international shipping, starting in 2027. These proposed rules are similar in spirit to the EU’s FuelEU Maritime regulation, but they won’t replace it any time soon.

This means shipping companies may soon need to deal with both regional and global regulations at the same time.

OceanScore is ready for that. Its tools are built to adapt quickly, whether it’s:

• Tracking compliance under both EU and IMO rules

• Supporting balance pooling and trading across schemes

• Integrating new data and reporting requirements as they develop

OceanScore’s goal is to keep clients one step ahead. No matter how the regulatory landscape evolves.

OceanScore is actively seeking collaborations with ship owners, managers, financiers, and insurers who are ready to embrace the future of maritime compliance management. For those interested in navigating the complexities of new regulations and ensuring a seamless compliance journey, OceanScore invites you to visit their website (https://oceanscore.com/) or connect directly with Albrecht Grell (albrecht.grell@oceanscore.com) for further discussions.