Reference Data

CAPEX References

Overview

Purchased-equipment costs and cost-scaling data for 296 pieces of process equipment. Search an item, then scale and escalate its cost — the data is the equipment-cost database compiled by the AssessCCUS initiative from published engineering references; we lean heavily on their compilation here, among other capex sources to be added.

Data

Cost formula (as published): cost = minCost × (S / minScale)^factor × (CEPCI_target / CEPCI_base).

Source	Entries	Base index
Seider et al. 2016	147	CEPCI 567
Capcost 2017	97	CEPCI 542
Sinnott & Towler 2020	52	CEPCI 509.7

Applicability & caveats

• Purchased (bare) cost, carbon steel unless noted — not installed (installation factor) or total plant (capex).
• ±25% accuracy (FEL-1/2); up to ±20% from cross-source harmonisation. Only a vendor quote is exact.
• Stay in range: the exponent is fitted between the listed min/max scale; beyond max, use multiple units (numbering up).
• Escalate before comparing years via the listed base index → analysis-year CEPCI. USD basis assumed.

Sources & provenance

• Primary compilation — AssessCCUS Capital Equipment Cost Database. Created by William Townsend & Grant Faber (2021), Global CO₂ Initiative (Univ. of Michigan). This page draws heavily on their work to assemble the underlying sources below; the cost formula and the per-source base indices are theirs. Workbook reference CEPCI (Jul 2021) = 720.2. Retrieved 2026-06-09. — Source page · Download .xlsx
• Underlying references (shown) — Seider et al. 2016 (147; CEPCI 567) Product and Process Design Principles, 4th ed., Wiley · Capcost 2017 (97; CEPCI 542) CAPCOST (Turton et al.) · Sinnott & Towler 2020 (52; CEPCI 509.7) Towler & Sinnott, Chemical Engineering Design.
• CEPCI escalation (calculator): 2021 = 708.8, 2022 = 816.0, 2023 = 797.9, 2024 ≈ 798.8; 2025 ≈ 812 and 2026 ≈ 815 are estimates (index paywalled since Sep 2024). Via Chemical Engineering / Towering Skills, retrieved 2026-06-09.

Per-entry values are transcribed from the compilation and carry their own source; equipment-class tags are assigned by a keyword classifier. The page stays draft until the flagged items are confirmed (04 §5).

See also

• Six-tenths rule — the scaling relation the formula implements, with the per-class exponents to sanity-check a factor.
• Accounting (capex, opex & revenue) — the equipment / ISBL cost build (incl. installation factors and numbering up) these costs feed.
• Uncertainty & FEL-1/2 accuracy class — the ±25% band.
• Cost indices & escalation series — the CEPCI series used to escalate.
• Equipment purchased-cost data (by class) — the generic dataset this instantiates.