Megawatt-Scale Atmospheric Decarbonization
Commercial Direct Air Capture (DAC) Sizer
Model atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR) utilizing solid amine sorbent Temperature-Vacuum Swing Adsorption (TVSA). Calculate gross vs net capture volume, thermal desorber heat duty, fan contactor parasitic loads, levelized cost of capture (LCOC), and Section 45Q tax credit revenue.
REGULATORY BENCHMARKS
IRA 2022
Section 45Q Saline Geologic Storage:$180.00 / tCO2
Section 45Q Carbon Utilization / EOR:$130.00 / tCO2
Minimum Capture Threshold:1,000 tCO2 / yr
Atmospheric CO2 Concentration:~420 ppm
Operating Parameters
Commercial module size (e.g. 10,000 to 100,000 tonnes/yr)
kg CO2e / kWh (0 = 100% clean)
Net CO2 Captured / Yr
21,850 t
87.4% Net Efficiency
Annual 45Q Tax Credits
$3,933,000
12-Year Credit Window
Levelized Cost of CO2 (LCOC)
$148.20 / t
CAPEX + OPEX per Net Ton
Simple Payback Period
7.2 Years
IRR ~14.8%
Plant Energy Balance & Parasitic Emissions
Fan Contactor Power Demand
1.28 MW
Continuous 8,760 hr air ingestion
Thermal Desorption Duty
4.36 MWth
Sorbent steam regeneration
Parasitic Grid Emissions
3,150 tCO2e/yr
Subtracted from gross capture
20-Year Cumulative Cash Flow Pro-Forma
Inflation: 2.0% | Discount: 7.0%| Metric | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 10 | 20-Yr Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45Q / CDR Gross Revenue | $3.93M | $3.93M | $3.93M | $61.20M |
| Operating Expenses (Power + Heat + Sorbent) | ($1.24M) | ($1.34M) | ($1.48M) | ($28.50M) |
| Net Operating Free Cash Flow | $2.69M | $2.59M | $2.45M | $32.70M |
Modeled after ClimeWorks Orca / Carbon Engineering Direct Air Capture architectures.