Operating Costs (OPEX) Analysis
Operating Costs (OPEX) — What Does It Cost to Run The Claw?
Annual operating costs for the mobile ship model. The critical insight: syngas self-power eliminates the largest traditional OPEX line item (fuel) during processing operations. The ship only burns diesel during transit.
1. Phase 1 Annual OPEX (5–10 TPD, Single Ship)
Line-Item Breakdown
| Category | Item | Low | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | Salaries (20–30 on-board × 2 rotations) | $3M | $6M | 40–60 total headcount. Mix of marine, processing, maintenance. |
| Crew | Travel/rotation logistics | $0.3M | $0.6M | Flights to/from Honolulu |
| Crew | Food, consumables, PPE | $0.3M | $0.5M | ~$40–60/person/day at sea |
| Fuel | Diesel for transit (~12 round trips/year) | $0.6M | $1.2M | ~300–500 tonnes diesel/year. Transit only — syngas powers ops. |
| Fuel | Port maneuvers + emergency | $0.1M | $0.3M | Harbour tug, backup generator |
| Maintenance | Plasma torch electrodes + spares | $0.5M | $1.0M | ~$233K per torch, 2–4 replacements/year |
| Maintenance | Ship hull + machinery | $1.0M | $2.0M | Standard vessel maintenance. Annual drydock not needed every year. |
| Maintenance | Processing equipment | $0.5M | $1.0M | Shredder wear parts, conveyor belts, syngas cleanup chemicals |
| Maintenance | Collection systems | $0.3M | $0.8M | Boom repair/replacement, drone maintenance |
| Port | Berth/docking fees (Honolulu) | $0.2M | $0.5M | ~12 port calls/year, 3–5 days each |
| Port | Slag offloading | $0.1M | $0.2M | ~180 tonnes/year slag. May have positive value as aggregate. |
| Insurance | Hull & Machinery | $0.5M | $1.5M | 0.5–1.5% of insured value. Higher initially (first-of-kind). |
| Insurance | P&I (liability) | $0.3M | $0.8M | International Group club. Novel risk profile. |
| Insurance | Cargo/environmental | $0.2M | $0.5M | Plastic waste processing coverage |
| Classification | Annual survey + certificates | $0.1M | $0.3M | DNV/Lloyd's annual inspection |
| Communications | VSAT satellite bandwidth | $0.1M | $0.3M | Internet, monitoring, weather data |
| Admin | Shore-based management office | $0.5M | $1.0M | Operations manager, logistics, accounting |
| Admin | Regulatory compliance, permits | $0.1M | $0.3M | Flag state, port state, environmental |
| Credit certification | Third-party verification | $0.1M | $0.3M | Auditors for plastic/carbon credit claims |
| Total Annual OPEX | $8.9M | $18.3M |
Phase 1 Mid-Range Estimate: ~$12–14M/year
2. What Self-Power Saves
The biggest OPEX advantage of the syngas self-power model:
| Scenario | Annual Fuel Cost | Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional diesel-powered processing ship | $8–15M/year | Baseline |
| The Claw (syngas during ops, diesel transit only) | $0.7–1.5M/year | $7–13.5M saved/year |
A conventional ship burning diesel for both propulsion and power generation at sea would spend $8–15M/year on fuel alone. The Claw only burns diesel during ~84 transit days/year (12 round trips × 7 days). During the ~250+ processing days, syngas from the plastic provides all power.
This is the economic moat. The ship literally runs on the garbage it cleans up.
3. Cost Per Tonne Processed
| Throughput | Annual Volume (75% uptime) | Annual OPEX | Cost/Tonne |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 TPD | ~940 tonnes | ~$12M | ~$12,800/tonne |
| 10 TPD | ~1,880 tonnes | ~$14M | ~$7,400/tonne |
| 25 TPD (Phase 2) | ~4,700 tonnes | ~$22M | ~$4,700/tonne |
| 50 TPD (Phase 3, fleet) | ~9,400 tonnes | ~$35M | ~$3,700/tonne |
Cost per tonne drops dramatically with scale. At 5 TPD, it's expensive — but Phase 1 is a proof of concept, not a profit centre. By Phase 2, the cost approaches levels where credit revenue can cover operations.
4. OPEX Breakdown by Category
| Category | % of OPEX | Scalable? |
|---|---|---|
| Crew (all-in) | ~30–35% | Somewhat — larger ship doesn't need proportionally more crew |
| Maintenance (all) | ~20–25% | Linear with equipment count |
| Fuel (transit only) | ~5–8% | Fixed — same transit regardless of processing rate |
| Insurance | ~8–15% | Steps down as operational history builds |
| Port costs | ~3–5% | Fixed per port call |
| Admin + overhead | ~8–12% | Mostly fixed |
Crew is the single largest cost. This is standard for offshore operations. The 28/28 rotation means doubling the headcount vs. on-board at any time. Any automation that reduces crew requirements (e.g., automated collection drones, remote monitoring) directly impacts the largest OPEX line.
5. Phase 2–3 OPEX Scaling
| Phase | Ships | Crew (total) | Fuel | Maintenance | Insurance | Other | Total OPEX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 (5–10 TPD) | 1 | $4–7M | $0.7–1.5M | $2.3–4.8M | $1–2.8M | $1.9–4.2M | $9–18M |
| Phase 2 (25 TPD) | 2 | $7–12M | $1.2–2.5M | $4–8M | $1.5–3.5M | $3–6M | $17–32M |
| Phase 3 (50 TPD) | 3–4 | $10–18M | $1.5–3M | $6–12M | $2–4M | $4–8M | $24–45M |
Fleet operations benefit from shared shore infrastructure, bulk purchasing, and crew cross-training. OPEX does not scale linearly with ship count — there are efficiencies.
6. The Break-Even Question
For The Claw to be self-sustaining (OPEX covered by revenue):
| Phase | Annual OPEX | Revenue Needed | Tonnes Needed at $5/kg plastic credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | ~$12–14M | ~$12–14M | 2,400–2,800 tonnes |
| Phase 2 | ~$22–28M | ~$22–28M | 4,400–5,600 tonnes |
At 5 TPD processing, annual throughput is ~940 tonnes. At $5/kg plastic credit value, that's ~$4.7M — well short of $12–14M OPEX.
Phase 1 does not break even on credit revenue alone at 5 TPD. It needs either:
- Higher throughput (10 TPD → ~$9.4M in plastic credits, closer)
- Additional revenue streams (carbon credits, grants, sponsorship)
- Philanthropic/grant funding to cover the gap during proof-of-concept phase
This is expected and acceptable. Phase 1 is an R&D investment, not a profit centre. The economics improve dramatically at Phase 2 scale.
See the Combined Revenue Scenarios document for full break-even analysis.
7. Comparison to Industry
| Operation | Annual OPEX | OPEX/Tonne Processed |
|---|---|---|
| The Claw Phase 1 (5 TPD) | ~$12–14M | ~$12,800 |
| The Claw Phase 2 (25 TPD) | ~$22–28M | ~$4,700 |
| Ocean Cleanup (System 03, collection only) | ~$20–30M (est.) | ~$80,000–150,000 (collection is expensive) |
| Offshore FPSO (oil/gas, 100 crew) | $98–180M | N/A |
| Factory fishing ship (200 crew) | $15–25M | ~$100–200/tonne fish |
| The Manta (SeaCleaners target) | ~€5–8M (est.) | ~$5,000–8,000 |
The Claw's OPEX is in line with comparable maritime industrial operations and significantly better per tonne than pure collection operations (which have no processing revenue).
Analysis compiled March 2026. Based on maritime crewing costs, FPSO OPEX benchmarks, PyroGenesis torch maintenance pricing, Pacific transit fuel consumption, and Honolulu port fee schedules.