DNV launches next generation of Steel Load Planner with built-in AI cargo optimisation

(Posted on 09/06/26)

Classification society DNV released version 2 of its award-winning Steel Load Planner (SLP V2.0) self-service application at the Posidonia trade fair last week. Building on two years of operational experience, the new version can automatically generate fully AI optimised loading plans with a structural assessment in under five minutes. Its application has also been extended beyond the bulk carrier segment, bringing automated coil planning to general cargo and multi-purpose vessels for the first time.

Steel coils are one of the staple minor-bulk cargoes, yet remain among the most demanding to plan, with wide variations in coil size, weight and behaviour during stowage. At the same time, tight tonnage supply, a shortage of newbuild slots, and growing regulatory costs for emissions, mean owners and operators need to maximize the loading capacity of their existing vessels to remain competitive.

Building on the original Steel Load Planner, which launched in 2023 and won the IT Solution award at the International Bulk Journal Awards, DNV’s SLP V2.0 can now automate planning work that previously relied on manual input and judgement. This means that even non-specialists can be guided by the built-in AI and produce a fully optimized plan in just minutes. Planners enter the vessel and the coil dimensions, and SLP V2 identifies the stronger and weaker areas of the structure, then optimizes dunnage as well as coil placement accordingly and generates a loading plan. In addition, general cargo ships and multi-purpose vessels can now take advantage of the same automated structural assessments.

Morten Løvstad, Vice President and Global Business Director for Bulk Carriers, DNV Maritime, said: "When we launched Steel Load Planner, we had great feedback, but the real test would be how it performed for our customers. Now over two years later and with more than one hundred vessels using the application, we have even more detailed feedback. The main request was, can we unlock more vessel capacity, while continuing to maintain the highest safety standards. SLP V2.0 does this, enabling owners to carry more cargo while staying inside structural compliance limits. The added responsiveness and ship type expansion are also exciting innovations, and we look forward to hearing what the industry makes of this new development.”

Belships AS, a shipowner and operator of geared bulk carriers with a fleet of 39 Ultramax vessels, tested the new version of SLP across its fleet and commented: “Being involved in the testing of SLP V2.0 meant we could put the new version to work at an early stage and also offer feedback on the development process. 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 now be made on the spot, with confidence and the documentation to support them."

The output from SLP V2.0 is built around a one-page dashboard, putting everything a planner needs front and centre. It presents the full overview of the cargo and loading plan on screen, with coil distribution mapped across the hold row by row, alongside the key figures for the shipment: coil quantities, total masses, and the centres of gravity for input to the onboard loading computer. The same dashboard can also be printed as a clean, readable report for documentation and handover.

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