Direct Air Capture Cost Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate (1) the cost per metric ton of CO₂ captured and (2) the annual cost for a direct air capture (DAC) system, based on your energy use, energy price, and per‑ton capital/operating costs. It’s designed for quick scenario testing—not a full project finance model.

What direct air capture costs include (and why they vary)

Direct air capture removes CO₂ from ambient air (roughly ~0.04% CO₂ by volume). Because the CO₂ concentration is low, DAC systems must process very large volumes of air and then regenerate a sorbent or solvent to release a concentrated CO₂ stream. These steps require energy (electricity and/or heat) and substantial equipment, which drives cost.

Different DAC designs balance these inputs differently:

• Solid sorbent systems often emphasize electricity for fans and low‑temperature heat (or electricity via heat pumps) for regeneration.
• Liquid solvent systems may require higher‑temperature heat for regeneration and can have different compression/cleanup needs.

Even within the same technology family, cost per ton depends heavily on energy prices, utilization (capacity factor), financing, and what “system boundary” is included (capture only vs. capture + compression + transport + storage + monitoring).

Calculator methodology & formulas

This page uses a simple per‑ton cost model with three components:

• Energy cost per ton: energy required (kWh/ton) × energy price ($/kWh)
• Annualized capital cost per ton: a user‑supplied $/ton value that already reflects financing/lifetime/utilization assumptions
• Operating cost per ton: a user‑supplied $/ton value for labor, maintenance, consumables, sorbent replacement, etc.

Core equations

Cost per ton:

Annual cost:

Annual Cost ($/yr) = C ($/ton) × Annual CO₂ Captured (tons/yr)

Variable definitions (units)

• Annual CO₂ Captured: tons of CO₂ captured per year (use metric tons if that matches your costing basis; keep consistent).
• Energy Requirement (Ereq): kWh per ton CO₂ (enter the energy you want priced at $/kWh—see boundary notes below).
• Energy Price (Pe): $ per kWh.
• Annualized Capital Cost (Ccap): $ per ton CO₂ (already annualized and allocated per ton).
• Operating Cost (Cop): $ per ton CO₂.

Interpreting the results

The calculator returns two outputs:

1. Estimated cost per ton: a marginal/average cost estimate under your assumptions and boundary.
2. Estimated annual cost: a simple multiplication of cost per ton by annual captured tons.

Use the cost per ton to compare scenarios (e.g., different electricity prices, improved energy intensity, or different assumed $/ton capital allocation). Use the annual cost for budgeting or rough order‑of‑magnitude planning.

Sanity check tip: if your energy requirement is high and your energy price is high, the energy term can dominate quickly. Conversely, if you’re using very low‑cost energy, capital allocation may dominate.

Worked example (illustrative)

Assume a DAC plant captures 100,000 tons/yr, requires 2,000 kWh/ton, pays $0.06/kWh, has $250/ton annualized capital cost, and $80/ton operating cost.

• Energy cost/ton = 2,000 × 0.06 = $120/ton
• Total cost/ton = 120 + 250 + 80 = $450/ton
• Annual cost = 450 × 100,000 = $45,000,000 per year

This example is not a benchmark—real projects can be above or below depending on technology, siting, utilization, heat source, and what costs are included.

Comparing scenarios quickly

The table below shows how the same non‑energy costs can produce different totals when energy intensity and energy price change.

Assumptions & limitations (read before using)

• System boundary is “capture cost” as you define it. This calculator only includes the inputs you enter. If your $/ton capital and operating values do not include compression, dehydration/purification, transport, injection/storage, monitoring/reporting/verification (MRV), permitting, water, land, or taxes, then the result will understate “delivered and stored” cost.
• Energy input is priced at a single $/kWh. Many DAC systems use both electricity and thermal energy. If you enter total energy as kWh, you’re implicitly pricing all energy at the same $/kWh. If you want more accuracy, convert only the portion priced as electricity, or convert heat to an equivalent kWh using your own heat price assumptions.
• Annualized capital cost must already be annualized per ton. This tool does not compute capital recovery from upfront CAPEX, project life, discount rate, utilization, or capacity factor. If you only know total CAPEX, you must translate it to $/ton separately.
• No carbon accounting. The calculator estimates financial cost, not net CO₂ removed. Upstream emissions from energy supply, materials, and construction can materially affect net removal.
• Captured CO₂ is not necessarily permanently removed. Permanent removal depends on durable storage (e.g., geologic storage or mineralization) and robust MRV. If CO₂ is used and re‑emitted (e.g., some utilization pathways), “removal” claims may not apply.
• Real vs nominal dollars not specified. Treat the result as a point‑in‑time estimate in the same dollar basis as your inputs. Inflation escalation, energy price volatility, and learning curves are not modeled.
• Ranges vary widely and are site‑specific. Energy intensity, costs, and performance depend on climate (temperature/humidity), plant design, downtime, sorbent degradation, and local labor/energy markets.

Practical input tips

• If you have a published energy figure in GJ/ton, convert using: 1 GJ ≈ 277.78 kWh.
• If your capture volume is uncertain, try a low/high range (e.g., ±20%) to see how annual cost scales.
• If you’re comparing technologies, keep the same boundary (capture-only vs capture+storage) across all scenarios.

Last updated: 2026-01-09.