Carbon Capture Mineralization Capacity Factor

Benchmark how fully a carbon mineralization facility utilises its reactor train by combining throughput, availability, and feedstock quality penalties into a single capacity factor.

Nameplate throughput of carbon mineralization reactors.
Observed average mass of carbonated material processed while online.
Share of the period the system was available for production.
Deduct throughput when low-purity feedstock lowers carbonate yield. Defaults to 0%.

Performance tracking helper. Combine with detailed mass balances and MRV audits for compliance reporting.

Examples

  • 800 t/day design, 620 t/day average, 87% uptime, 5% purity penalty ⇒ effective 512.43 t/day, capacity factor 64.05%.
  • 950 t/day design, 700 t/day average, 92% uptime, penalty blank ⇒ effective 644.00 t/day, capacity factor 67.79%.

FAQ

Why can the capacity factor exceed 100%?

Overdrive operation or debottlenecked steps can temporarily exceed nameplate. The calculator caps the reported capacity factor at 500% to flag extraordinary events while preventing runaway figures.

How should I treat downstream curing limitations?

Include downstream constraints in the uptime percentage so the metric reflects the end-to-end mineralization supply chain rather than just reactor availability.

Does the penalty factor double-count quality losses?

No. Throughput captures mass processed while online; the penalty accounts for conversion efficiency to carbonated solids. Use lab assays or carbon accounting data to calibrate it.

Additional Information

  • Result unit: dimensionless capacity factor and effective tonnes per day.
  • Purity penalty captures reactive fraction losses from contaminants such as magnesium silicates or moisture.
  • Use rolling 12-month averages to smooth commissioning volatility before reporting to investors.