No more than 2,000 metric tons of material are in a bay at one time. Caribbean Ispat contracts ships that can carry 20,000-30,000 metric tons. The ship must have hydraulic hatches for easy closing if rain falls during loading. Workers also use a high-pressure hose to test each hatch to ensure that it doesn't leak. CIL employees lay thermocouples across the ship's holds to monitor temperatures during transit.
Workers also install pipes to pump inert nitrogen into the holds after loading.
Once the ship is prepared, two cranes with clamshell grabs dump DRI pellets into the ship's cargo holds. After 50 percent of the material is loaded, workers place another layer of thermocouples in the hold. Workers add oxygen and nitrogen sampling lines to the top of the hold after the ship is loaded. A gas pump forces nitrogen into the bottom of the hold. The nitrogen, which is heavier than air, displaces the air in the cargo hold.