All cost estimates are, at this stage, preliminary. Actual cost will be provided when we come closer to realization.
The remaining research, risk – and life-cycle-assessments etc. will cost several million $. Most of this cost should hopefully be born by research grants and/or public funds. AMR will develop the engineering of the planes and conduct an environmental impact assessment before the first field test.
The cost of planes will be around 20 million $ each. If we use 50 planes, the cost is around 1 billion $ for the flying equipment. The planes could probably be used for around 20 years.
We think that three new factories will be needed for production of anhydrous FeCl3. The cost be in the hundreds of millions of $. We hope to find partners in the chemical industry who will stem these investments, once they know that the sales are confirmed. Until then, e.g. for the field test, we will have to buy FeCl3 on the market.
Containers will be needed for the transport of the material. These special containers will have to fit right into the loading bay of the planes. They need to be watertight, because anhydrous FeCl3 is very hydroscopic, and gets useless when wet. Therefore the material needs to be transported inside the containers from the factory to the airport and put right into the plane. Thousands of containers will be needed, each costing around 20.000 $. Containers may last around 10 years. The initial cost of containers will be around 20 million $.
All in all initial cost for AMR will be around 1.2 billion $.
Annual cost
The cost of anhydrous FeCl3 will be around 5.000 – 7.500 $ / ton incl. shipping to the airport. 200.000 – 300.000 tons (annual load) will hence cost 1 – 2.25 billion $.
The planes use around 500 l of kerosine per hour. Each plane would be airborne around 8 h / day. At 300 operative days per year fuel consumption is around 60 million l / year for 50 planes. Kerosine currently costs ~1.05 $/l, so the yearly fuel cost amounts to ~60 million $ / year. Parking and storage at the airport is needed for the planes and the containers and maintenance cost must be added, making it ~150 million $ / year.
Personnel, insurance, taxes, fees (…) will amount to ~100 million $ / year.
All in all the yearly, technical cost of dispersal (w/o MRV) will be 1.25 – 2.5 billion $. Add the initial cost written down over 20 years plus the cost of MRV and you end up at around 1.75 – 3 billion $.
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