The Hamburg-based company Oceanscore wants to increase its footprint in the Asian shipping industry and is opening an office in Japan.
The team led by Managing Director Albrecht Grell is focusing on Japanese shipping companies and ship managers, among others, for whom there is a need in view of the increasing economic impact of EU emissions trading (EU ETS) and fuel (FuelEU Maritime) regulations.
According to Oceanscore, the opening of the new office follows a year of increased collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region and with several Japanese companies. Clients include Iino Kaiun Kaisha, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MMS and Meiji Shipping. According to reports, further regional partnerships are underway as EU environmental regulations become more important.
The Japanese office will be headed by Jyouichi Syou, representative for Japan, who joined OceanScore in December. He will be supported by Leo Grayson, Head of Commercial – APAC, who has been instrumental in coordinating the regional cooperation and preparations for this move.
EU-ETS and FuelEU Maritime are straightforward from a regulatory perspective, as the inspection bodies cover the technical aspects, say the Hamburg-based company. The real challenge lies in the subsequent commercial processes: Determining the emissions risk, correctly allocating costs between owners and charterers, preparing statements and invoices, preparing FuelEU pooling and tracking EUAs and balances.
“By expanding to Japan, we are reaffirming our commitment to the region,” said Jyouichi Syou, representative for Japan. “Japanese shipping is organized globally and systematically. Our role is to support them with transparent and reliable compliance processes that reduce risk and conform to established operating standards.”
For companies outside Europe, the challenge is not the regulation itself, but the growing workload of operating under multiple systems – EU-ETS, FuelEU Maritime and soon UK-ETS. With increasing obligations, without structured processes and regional support, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain control over emissions risk, cost allocation, settlements, pooling decisions and the associated workflows.
“EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime apply worldwide, regardless of a company’s trading activities. The key is not understanding the regulation, but dealing with the commercial implications,” said Grayson. “For Japanese shipowners and ship managers, local support and reliable systems help reduce compliance risks. Our office in Japan enables closer collaboration, faster access to relevant information and a continuous exchange of practical experience and best practices.”
The office in Japan complements Oceanscore’s existing presence in Asia. The Singapore office offers support through data-based workflows for EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime. More than 900 vessels in the region are already using Compliance Manager, Oceanscore’s integrated platform for managing these regulations.
“The Japanese shipping industry has always operated with a high degree of structure and long-term planning,” said Albrecht Grell, Managing Director of OceanScore. “The opening of our Tokyo office is a practical step to support our local clients. We are aware of the challenges many Asian shipping companies face in accessing and interpreting EU regulations, and we want to provide the transparency and foresight needed to manage compliance safely.”
