Waste-to-Energy Equipment worked example

Scrubber Chemical Cost at 92% reagent utilization efficiency: a worked example

What does the result look like when reagent utilization efficiency reaches 92%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Used by operations and environmental teams to budget lime or caustic consumption for the flue-gas treatment train over a billing period.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Flue gas volume treated: 5,200 1000 Nm3 (unchanged)
  • Reagent cost per 1000 Nm3 treated: 48 $/1000 Nm3 (unchanged)
  • Reagent utilization efficiency: 92 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 80)
  • Reagent handling & disposal surcharge: 6,500 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Cost = flue gas treated x reagent cost x utilization % + handling surcharge) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 236,132 $ for total scrubber chemical cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 45.41 $ / piece for scrubber chemical cost per unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 229,632 $ for variable scrubber chemical cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,500 $ for fixed scrubber chemical cost adder.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where reagent utilization efficiency sits at 80% and the headline result is 206,180 $, this scenario comes in 14.53% above the baseline at 236,132 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when reagent utilization efficiency is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It uses a single blended reagent price and one utilization figure; it does not model load-following dosing spikes, HCl/SO2 concentration swings, or multi-reagent trains with different unit costs.

Results at a glance

  • Total scrubber chemical cost: 236,132 $ (headline result)
  • Scrubber chemical cost per unit: 45.41 $ / piece
  • Variable scrubber chemical cost: 229,632 $
  • Fixed scrubber chemical cost adder: 6,500 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Scrubber Chemical Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.