Optimizing steel coil loading to unlock vessel potential
Steel coil transport has long required a conservative approach to loading, often preventing vessels from fully utilizing their available capacity. With the latest update to DNV’s Steel Load Planner, cargo planning is shifting from manual routines to automated optimization, enabling operators to carry more cargo safely while simplifying the planning process.
Planning the loading of steel coils is one of the more complex tasks in dry bulk shipping. Variations in coil size, weight, and stowage arrangements require careful assessment to ensure structural limits are not exceeded. Traditionally, this has meant relying on standard loading patterns, predefined tier arrangements, and conservative assumptions that do not always reflect real-world conditions.
From manual planning to automated optimization
“Historically, steel coil planning has involved a significant degree of manual input and simplification,” says Tatiana Tzeferakou, head of section – ERS, Hulls and Materials at DNV. “The challenge is that simplified approaches do not always reflect how the vessel’s structure actually responds to the cargo. With the updated Steel Load Planner, we move from evaluating plans to fully optimizing them.”
The latest version of the Steel Load Planner introduces automated generation of loading plans, where users input cargo characteristics, and the system produces an optimized arrangement based on vessel-specific structural data. Instead of manually testing scenarios, planners can now generate a fully developed loading concept within minutes, with structural compliance integrated into the process from the outset.
Making better use of the vessel structure
At the core of this shift is a deeper understanding of how steel coils interact with a vessel’s structure, an area where traditional planning methods have typically relied on simplification.
“In practice, cargo planners do not always have visibility of which areas of the structure can safely carry additional load and which require more caution,” explains Eivind Bækkedal, senior engineer and ship type expert at DNV Maritime. “The Steel Load Planner identifies structural differences in the cargo area and distributes the cargo accordingly. This enables a more efficient use of the vessel’s capacity, without compromising safety.”
Rather than treating the cargo hold as a uniform space, the tool evaluates structural capacity at a much more granular level. It takes into account local strength variations – such as reinforced sections of the tank top and changes to the stiffening systems in way of pipe ducts and hopper structures – and uses this information to optimize coil placement.
This approach allows planners to move away from uniform and conservative loading patterns and instead tailor the cargo distribution to the vessel’s actual structural characteristics. In practical terms, this means identifying where additional coils can be safely placed, resulting in a more precise and efficient loading condition.
From conservative assumptions to higher utilization
The impact of this approach can be significant. In one illustrative case involving a Belships-operated Ultramax vessel, a comparison between manual planning and the Steel Load Planner shows the scale of the improvement.
Using conventional planning methods, the vessel could carry approximately 38,000 tonnes of steel coils. With the Steel Load Planner’s automated optimization under standard conditions, this increased by around 20 per cent. When additional capabilities, such as voyage-specific conditions and vessel condition inputs, were taken into account, the increase exceeded 50 per cent, bringing the vessel close to its maximum deadweight capacity for that specific transport.
This reflects a broader shift in how capacity is understood in steel coil operations: from conservative estimates based on standard assumptions to vessel- and voyage-specific optimization that better reflects what is actually achievable in practice.
“In our experience, steel coil loading has always required a conservative approach due to the uncertainty surrounding how the load is distributed across the structure,” says XXX, Belships. “What stands out with the new Steel Load Planner is how it identifies where the vessel can safely take more load. That gives us the confidence to move closer to the vessel’s true capacity, rather than leaving margins unused.”
Planning based on real operating conditions
Another key development in the updated tool is the ability to move beyond design-based assumptions and account for the conditions under which a vessel will actually operate.
Ships are designed to withstand extreme sea states, but most voyages take place under less demanding conditions. By incorporating parameters such as expected weather and vessel condition, the Steel Load Planner can adjust load assumptions accordingly.
“The loads acting on the vessel depend heavily on how it will operate,” says Bækkedal. “If the sea conditions during a specific voyage are milder, the dynamic loads are lower. By accounting for this, the tool can allow higher cargo intake while still staying within safe limits.”
This enables a more realistic and flexible planning process. Instead of applying a single conservative standard across all voyages, operators can tailor loading decisions to the anticipated route and conditions, improving both utilization and operational efficiency.
Faster planning, clearer decisions
While increased utilization is one outcome, the shift to automation also brings significant improvements in workflow.
“We’ve had a lot of useful feedback from customers since the first version of the Steel Load Planner was launched in 2023, and automation was a key request that we heard a lot,” says Tzeferakou. “They wanted faster results, but also greater confidence in the decisions they make when selecting loading solutions. With the new version, a fully optimized loading plan can be generated in minutes, allowing planners to focus on decision-making rather than manual calculations.”
The updated interface supports this by presenting the full loading plan in a single consolidated dashboard, giving users a clear overview of cargo distribution, structural utilization, and key parameters for the voyage ahead.
“Being involved in the testing of SLP V2.0 meant we could put the new version to work at an early stage and also influence its development,” says XXX, Belships. “What stands out is how quickly a steel coil loading plan can be put together and how it optimizes cargo intake. Having the structural assessment built in means decisions can be made on the spot with confidence and with the documentation to support them.”
Wider efficiency and environmental benefits
Improved cargo utilization also has broader operational and environmental implications.
By enabling vessels to carry more cargo per voyage, the Steel Load Planner supports more efficient use of available tonnage. This can reduce the number of voyages required to transport the same volume of cargo, contributing to lower fuel consumption per tonne carried.
“Better utilization is not just about commercial performance,” says Tzeferakou. “It also means transporting the same volume of cargo with fewer resources. That is where we see a clear link between operational efficiency and environmental performance.”
While these benefits are a natural consequence of improved planning, they reinforce the wider role of digital tools in supporting more efficient and sustainable shipping operations.
A step change in steel coil planning
The evolution of the Steel Load Planner reflects a broader trend in maritime operations: moving from rule-based or experience-based planning practices towards data-driven optimization.
By combining vessel-specific structural insight, voyage-based inputs, and automated workflows and planning, the tool enables a more precise and efficient approach to steel coil transport.
For operators, this means not only faster and simpler workflows, but also the ability to unlock capacity that previously remained out of reach, and to do this safely, consistently, and with confidence.
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