equipment_sizingcostingcarbon_capture
Calculator for biomethane production, CO2 separation (biogenic CO2 captured), methane slip, electricity use, CAPEX/OPEX, and levelized cost (EUR/tCO2 captured) for a biogas upgrading unit.
Select the main CH4/CO2 separation technology. This sets default electricity intensity and CAPEX/O&M scaling assumptions.
If enabled, adds a simplified CAPEX and electricity adder for methane slip treatment (e.g., thermal/catalytic oxidation).
Nominal inlet biogas flow to the upgrading unit at normal conditions (Nm3/h).
min 10 · max 5000 · step 10 · Nm3/h
Vol-% methane in the inlet biogas (typical: 60–70%). Ensure CH4% + CO2% <= 100%.
min 30 · max 80 · step 1 · %
Vol-% CO2 in the inlet biogas (typical: 30–40%). Ensure CH4% + CO2% <= 100%.
min 10 · max 70 · step 1 · %
Target methane concentration in the upgraded biomethane stream.
min 90 · max 99.9 · step 0.1 · %
Fraction of inlet methane not recovered to biomethane (off-gas / purge / vent). Typical ranges depend on technology and operation.
Average operating fraction over the year, including downtime.
Raw biogas feed capacity
Nominal inlet flow to upgrading unit
Biomethane product flow
Based on methane recovery and target CH4 purity
Biogenic CO2 captured (separated)
CO2 removed from biogas and routed to CO2-rich stream
Methane slip (loss)
CH4 not recovered to biomethane
CO2 capture rate
Separated CO2 as % of CO2 in feed
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Number of parallel upgrading trains
Ceiling(capacity / unit train capacity)
Average electrical load
Based on specific electricity per Nm3 raw biogas
Specific electricity per tCO2 captured
Useful for CO2 management benchmarking
Amortization period for CAPEX annualization (CRF).
Real or nominal discount rate used for annualizing CAPEX (consistent with your cost basis).
Levelized cost of CO2 captured
EUR per tonne of biogenic CO2 separated
Total installed CAPEX (screening)
Scaled with plant size and technology; optional off-gas treatment adder
Blended electricity price paid by the upgrading plant.
Implied levelized cost per biomethane energy
Total annual cost divided by biomethane energy output
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Calculator context
This calculator provides a pre-feasibility screening estimate for an integrated biogas upgrading and CO₂ separation unit that converts raw (or pretreated) biogas into grid-/fuel-grade biomethane while producing a CO₂-rich biogenic stream. It is designed for early-stage development decisions in a generic EUR-based context (no region specified) and aligns with common literature-based performance ranges for upgrading technologies.
Key references include IEA Bioenergy Task 37 (biogas upgrading technology performance ranges) and widely used energy-costing conventions (annualization via Capital Recovery Factor, CRF) used across IEA/IRENA/NREL-style techno-economic screening.
The model is a mass-balance and parametric-costing spreadsheet expressed as engineering nodes:
Feed and product gas balances (Nm3/h)
CO₂ capture accounting
Electricity use (technology-dependent)
Costing (screening-scale parametrics)
Performance ranges for electricity consumption and typical methane losses are guided by IEA Bioenergy Task 37 (e.g., PSA, water scrubbing, membranes, chemical scrubbing).
38 assumptions used in the calculations
Prevents division-by-zero and unstable results when denominators approach zero.
Market range Not applicable (purely numerical safeguard).
Converts hourly flows and loads to annual totals via capacity factor.
Market range Fixed (8760).
Converts percentage inputs (0–100) to fractions (0–1) for calculations.
Market range Fixed (0.01).
Converts fractions to percent and supports percent-based reporting.
Market range Fixed (100).
Converts between kWh and MWh for energy and electricity billing units.
Market range Fixed (1000).
Converts kg to metric tonnes for CO2 reporting.
Market range Fixed (1000).
Used to convert methane volumetric flows (Nm3) to mass flows (kg) at normal conditions.
Used to convert CO2 volumetric flows (Nm3) to mass flows (kg) at normal conditions.
Used to estimate biomethane energy output from methane volumetric flow and CH4 fraction.
Supports estimating the number of parallel trains at screening stage.
Defines the reference capacity for specific CAPEX scaling curves.
Prevents unrealistically low specific CAPEX at very large scale in the screening model.
Market range Order-of-magnitude safeguard (not a market quote).
Prevents unrealistically high specific CAPEX at very small scale in the screening model.
Market range Order-of-magnitude safeguard (not a market quote).
Prevents fixed O&M from falling below plausible levels for process plants.
Caps fixed O&M fraction at a conservative upper screening value.
Represents an indicative installed specific CAPEX at the reference capacity for water scrubbing.
Indicative installed specific CAPEX at the reference capacity for PSA upgrading.
Indicative installed specific CAPEX at the reference capacity for membrane upgrading (typical multi-stage design).
Indicative installed specific CAPEX at the reference capacity for chemical scrubbing (amine).
Represents typical sub-linear scaling of total CAPEX with capacity for process skids.
Slightly higher scaling exponent assumed for PSA systems due to vessel/valve complexity.
Membrane skids can be modular; screening exponent reflects stronger economies at larger scale.
Chemical absorption/stripping columns and heat integration may scale somewhat closer to linear than skid-only systems.
Represents annual fixed O&M (labor, maintenance, spares) as fraction of CAPEX for water scrubbing.
Slightly higher fixed O&M for PSA due to valves, adsorbent changeout, and cycling maintenance.
Represents maintenance and periodic membrane element replacement at screening level.
Higher fixed O&M for chemical scrubbing due to solvent management and thermal equipment maintenance.
Reflects mild economies of scale in fixed O&M as plants get larger.
Market range -0.15 to 0.00
Same mild economies of scale assumption for PSA fixed O&M fraction.
Market range -0.15 to 0.00
Same mild economies of scale assumption for membrane systems.
Market range -0.15 to 0.00
Same mild economies of scale assumption for chemical scrubbing.
Market range -0.15 to 0.00
Representative electricity use for water scrubbing including compression to typical upgrading pressures.
Representative electricity use for PSA upgrading.
Representative electricity use for multi-stage membrane upgrading at moderate pressure.
Electricity for chemical scrubbing is often lower than PSA/water scrubbing; note that thermal energy is excluded in this simplified electricity-only model.
Represents auxiliary electricity for a simplified methane slip oxidation/handling unit.
Captures screening-level pretreatment consumables/maintenance (e.g., simple drying, basic desulfurization cost proxy) as a variable cost per Nm3 raw biogas.
Adds a screening percentage of base CAPEX to represent methane slip treatment equipment.
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