Direct Air Capture Regeneration Energy Calculator

Estimate the daily regeneration energy profile for direct air capture units after applying heat recovery and auxiliary electrical loads.

Tonnes of CO₂ permanently captured per day after accounting for process losses.
Thermal energy required to regenerate sorbent per tonne of CO₂ captured.
Defaults to 0%. Represents the share of regeneration heat recovered via recuperation or heat pumps.
Defaults to 0. Include fans, vacuum pumps, and compression electricity per tonne of CO₂.

Validate energy balances against process simulation outputs and vendor guarantees before finalising utility interconnection or heat supply contracts.

Examples

  • 450 t/day, 6.5 GJ/t, 20% recovery, 180 kWh/t ⇒ 812.50 MWh/day thermal, 81.00 MWh/day electric, 893.50 MWh/day total
  • 120 t/day, 5.8 GJ/t, no recovery, 150 kWh/t ⇒ 193.33 MWh/day thermal, 18.00 MWh/day electric

FAQ

What sources inform the specific regeneration energy input?

Use performance test data or vendor guarantees for your sorbent and contactor design. Pilot plant results typically quote regeneration intensity between 5 and 8 GJ/t for solid sorbent systems.

How should I estimate heat recovery?

Start with heat exchanger pinch analysis or mechanical vapor recompression studies. Conservative designs assume 10–20% recovery until detailed engineering validates higher rates.

Does auxiliary electricity include CO₂ compression to pipeline pressure?

Include compression work if your boundary extends to sequestration-ready CO₂. Otherwise, model compression separately and combine results when reporting project-wide energy use.

Can I convert the totals into natural gas fuel volume?

Yes. Divide the net thermal MWh/day by your boiler or kiln efficiency and convert to the relevant fuel’s energy content to estimate feedstock demand.

Additional Information

  • Thermal demand converts gigajoules per tonne into megawatt-hours per day by multiplying by capture rate and dividing by 3.6.
  • Heat recovery fractions reduce only the thermal component; auxiliary electric loads are added after the reduction.
  • Total energy intensity per tonne combines residual thermal and auxiliary electricity into a unified benchmark.

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