About Vessel Auto Planning Vessel Auto planning (VAP) is the automated process of planning the loading of freight Containers onto liner vessels, taking cognisance of all the parameters that have a bearing on the effectiveness of the stowage. The objective is to meet the challenges in stowage planning in a fast efficient and effective.
Automated stowage planning has more researches in the past two decades, but with only few real documented success stories. Container stowage planning is recognized as a complex process.The Solverminds VAP solution addresses the 5 challenges listed above in a sophisticated manner that is not overly so complex that one needs a
scientist to understand it. 1. Protect the ship. 2. Protect the cargo. 3. Achieve the maximum utilization of the available capacity on the ship. 4. Provide for rapid and systematic loading and discharging. 5. Minimize the need for bunkering to achieve effective seaworthy balance. There are many variables to be considered, which is achieving optimum load and discharge efficiencies with minimal extra “moves”. Good planning can yield many benefits to the Liner business, however, inadequate planning may result in inefficient operations or at worst substantial material damage to the ship and or the containers and cargo.
Why VAP is Important? Effective cargo stowage has always been important in shipping. It has become even more important due to the extreme engineering that enables not only bigger stack heights but also sheer size of the vessels. It demands far more complex ship’s planning as the impact at sea forlarger vessels on aspects of Shearing forces, Bending Moments, Torsion Moments, Trim and Stability. Whilst manual planning of smaller vessels is still feasible and their “calculation tools” in the past. The size of the cargo load and the vessels with the various routes make optimization calculations across all the parameters nigh impossible without a full function Vessel Automated Planning system. Real automation should also allow the system to minimise the use of bunkers to achieve an acceptable position. The Solverminds VAP solution works with various sizes of vessels and yields impressive efficiency in container stowage planning.
Real Vessel Planning Challenges A large number of variables come into play when performing a vessel planning exercise. Some of the challenges are business related whilst others are safety and SOLAS (save our lives at sea). There are many factors to be considered, one needs to remember that even with super oversight by really experienced planners we are now looking at volumes that far exceed our ability to handle vessel planning without a good automation solution. Consistent quality and checking and cross checking is only really achievable with a VAP solution. An outline of some of the challenging factors are: 1. Route (port rotation) impact on stowage a. Planning always takes into account the loading requirements at the current port of call? When the
discharges and new loadings at the vessels following ports of call. b. The option of optional ports of discharge creates a further level of complexity as now a container needs to be able to be lifted off at either port in the option declared. c. Avoiding over-stow, i.e. containers going to a further port not to be loaded above containers to be unloaded first to avoid re-handling. 2. Vessel constraints – These are typically the real physical constraints that exist and may vary between vessel classes. Things like; a. Stack weight limits.
b. Lashing forces. c. Maximum stack height under deck and on deck. 3. Hazardous cargo – handling hazardous cargo has numerous rules whilst these rules may not be concerned with stability of the vessel. The cargo will move on they do have an impact as to where we can actually stow such cargo. Here one needs to take into account things like Explosive classes, Taint where one can’t store refrigerated cargo alongside hazardous cargo etc. Key aspects to consider are; a. Marine pollutants b. Explosive classes c. Refrigerated cargo next to hazardous cargo d. IMDG segregation requirements e. Document of compliance for hazardous cargo f. Consolidate DG cargo loading
4. Ballast intake optimization - Ballast is required to affect the desired trim and stability of the vessel. But proper stowage planning can minimise the ballast requirement thereby increasing paying load carrying capability. Each ton of ballast is a cost to transport, whereas each ton of cargo transported contributes to the voyage result financially. Effective planning can minimise the ballast requirements. 5. Trim optimisation – planning needs to achieve optimal trim to reduce fuel consumption to the minimum. 6. Lashing rules
Benefits from VAP Solution
a. It is critical for the stowage plan to adhere to all lashing rules and maximum stack heights and efficient loading / discharging.
b. Out of gauge (OOG) containers have particular rules must be adhered to and impact the stowage position of such cargo. It is vital that OOG container information is known to the system as early as possible to enable and efficient stow.
Benefits - VAP Solution A Solid VAP solution can have a very significant impact on improving the efficiency and profitability of a liner operation. Automatically generated stowage plans from a sound VAP solution include: 1. All statutory regulations are adhered to and taken into consideration in the stowage plan. 2. Reduced ballast required which allows cargo load optimisation and reduction in dead weight, leading to greater revenue generating ability and reduced bunkers cost etc. 3. Improved vessel stability resulting in improved performance. 4. Achieving the best trim possible, which is a contributor for better fuel efficiency. 5. Being able to make optimal use of under deck slots, without compromising the load / discharge efficiencies and minimising additional container moves to achieve the result. 6. All lashing forces are considered and factored into the stowage plan. 7. Existing planners can handle more vessels thereby reducing the liner company’s operational costs as using a VAP one has reduced the manual intervention normally required significantly. 8. VAP supported planners require reduced training and significantly reduce unintentional human error.
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Important Consideration of VAP
Considerations for a successful Vessel Automated Planning solution should include: 1. The VAP Solution must consider all constraints simultaneously and incorporate these in the stowage plans that are produced 2. The Planning solution must reduce the time taken to produce a plan significantly and a least cost that results in at least 90 to 95% accuracy 3. All Vessel and Port constraints must be incorporated into the planning automatically 4. The planning solution must include the ability to optimize the impact of a. Stack weights b. Lashing forces c. Reefer plugs d. High Cube constraints e. DG Separation f. Visibility 5. The Planning solution must be able to accept input from excel forms to retrieve forecasts 6. It must be able to integrate voyage schedules from the web or EDI 7. It must be able to send output in e-mail format 8. It must be able to report on future restow’s identified
SVM VAP - Case Study VAP was tested for a voyage that had peculiar characteristics. Challenge in this case study. 5 port of load (POL) >424 Hazardous (Haz) containers. Because reefer and Haz cargo cannot be mixed system had to protect reefer and Haz bays. >480 reefer containers. >50% reefer was in 4th port of load and heavy cargo. Means VAP had to protect space for heavy reefers coming ahead Extremely heavy cargo in latter ports therefore in initial ports system had to load vertical in each bay to protect the slots. Highlights of auto planning results 1. At final port zero ballast 2. Stresses good within limits 3. GM was good above company requirements 4. DG Segregaton good 5. Reefer and DG segregation good 6. Based on forecast vessel reserved space for heavy cargo coming in later port
7. Lashing stresses were good within limits
Port (Names Changed to ABC‌) 20 Units 40 Units DG Inlc RF Incl Total Units Time to Plan Forecast Slot Planning Units Not Planned OOG Not Planned Crane Split
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276 485 84 23 761
490 599 143 83 1089
197 435 127 79 632
27 389 0 264 416
173 201 70 40 374
424 489 3272
2.43 8
4 8 7 DG 1 other
2.5 7 15 DG, 2 GP, 1ref
0.5 7
0.9 5
Minutes Minutes
3 DG 17
17
5
5
4
3.2
3
0
5300
0
0
0
6.62 11.01 5.31 85 85
10.45 10.51 3.51 81 96
9.26 12.15 1.88 92 102
10.76 12.54 1.78 87 95
10.43 12.73 1.24 85 88
Ballast Taken F Draft Aft Draft GM SF BM TM
9 DG 3 Same as manual planning Extremely low Ballast intake because of good planning and good GM Good Good Good Good Good All in Order
Conclusion Vessel Auto Planning meets all the requirements for optimizing the stowage plan. VAP had proved itself in complex cargo sitiations. It is indeed a true auto planning which looks into future using cargo forecast to plan cargo in current port. Planning is fast therefore changing cargo situations can be easily simulated. Liner industry needs such innovative solutions to surge ahead into 2020.
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