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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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
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 |
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.