In this paper, vessels from the offshore oil and gas industry are explored in the conceptual design of value-robust deep-sea mining vessel solutions. The responsive systems comparison method is applied in a case addressing two hypothetical stakeholders: a mining company and a vessel operator. Their value propositions are outlined and pave the ground for important attributes that consolidate into conceptual vessel design solutions. The cost–benefit trade-offs for various design solutions and technology choices are discussed for different future scenarios. The results indicate that complexity drives high CAPEX generation, yielding so-called gold-plated designs. Lower cost mitigation measures should be taken to ensure future missions of a deep-sea mining vessel. The consequences of design choices on commercial considerations are discussed, such as the vessels’ second-hand value in the market and alternative uses.
deep-sea mining; offshore vessels; ship design; technology transfer; cost–benefit; scenario-testing
