Ammonia and Hydrogen Recovery Ballpark Calculator

User Inputs

Wastewater flow rate (m³/day): Ammonia inlet concentration (mg/L): Electricity price ($US/kWh): Hydrogen price ($US/kg): Value of wastewater treatment ($US/m³):

Outputs

Resource Recovery & Treatment Efficiency

Ammonia recovery (kg/day): ---

Hydrogen production (tons/yr): ---

Ammonia outlet concentration (mg/L): ---

Energy Profile

Thermal load (kWth): ---

Electrical load - ammonia recovery (kWe): ---

Electrical load - H₂ production (kWe): ---

Financial Performance

OPEX ($US/year): ---

Simple payback (yr): ---

Calculated as: Total CAPEX / (Annual Revenue - Annual OPEX).

Estimated IRR (%): ---

Approximation: 100 / Simple Payback (in years).

Comparative Costs of Wastewater Treatment Technologies

Technology	USD/g NH₃	Cost per m³ (USD)	Remarks
Biological nitrification-denitrification	0.002 – 0.01	7 – 35	Low OPEX but needs large footprint and aeration.
Air stripping (with pH adjustment)	0.005 – 0.02	17.5 – 70	Requires heat and caustic dosing; scalable.
Steam stripping	0.01 – 0.03	35 – 105	Energy-intensive but enables ammonia recovery.
Ion exchange	0.01 – 0.05	35 – 175	High cost at high loadings unless ammonia is recovered.
Chemical precipitation (struvite)	0.03 – 0.10	105 – 350	Not ideal alone for high loads; depends on phosphorus content.
Membrane separation	0.05 – 0.20	175 – 700	Advanced option, costly unless for niche or polishing use.
Electrochemical / advanced oxidation	0.10 – 0.50	350 – 1,750	Generally uneconomical for high loads unless integrated system.

Disclaimer: This calculator provides ballpark estimates for informational purposes only. The results are based on the inputs provided by the user and predefined assumptions. Actual results may vary. This information should not be considered as financial advice or a guarantee of performance.