How much does a vapour absorption chiller cost?
The purchase price of a vapour absorption chiller (VAM) is set by its capacity, its model, the heat source it runs on and the work needed to connect it. That is why BROAD quotes each project after a sizing study rather than publishing a price list.
For most buyers the deciding number is not the price but the payback. An absorption chiller usually costs more to buy than an electric chiller, but when it runs on waste heat or low-cost steam it removes most of the cooling power bill, which is often a plant's largest electrical load.
What drives the price
Five factors set most of the cost of an absorption chiller project.
Cooling capacity (TR)
BROAD absorption chillers run from 30 to 3,300 TR. Cost rises with capacity, but cost per TR falls on larger machines.
Learn more →Model and heat source
Single-stage machines for low-pressure steam or 70–95°C hot water are simpler. Two-stage, direct-fired, exhaust and multi-energy models add a second generator, a burner or extra heat exchangers.
Learn more →Heat source conditions
Lower steam pressure or cooler hot water means less cooling per unit of machine, so a larger chiller is needed for the same TR. Sizing at your real conditions keeps the price accurate.
Learn more →Cooling water system
An absorption chiller rejects roughly twice the heat of an electric chiller, so it needs a larger cooling tower and pumps. BROAD packaged pumpsets cut this pumping power by 70–85%.
Learn more →Installation scope
Steam or hot water piping, foundations, controls integration and commissioning vary by site and can be a large share of the project.
Learn more →Running cost: absorption vs electric chiller
An electric chiller's running cost is mostly its compressor power, around 0.7 kW per TR (at Kejriwal Geotech, 1,200 TR of cooling had drawn about 850 kW). An absorption chiller has no compressor; its pumps and controls draw about 1–3% of that. Its other running cost is the heat that drives it: nothing for true waste heat, or the cost of the steam if it comes from a boiler.
Steam use follows from the chiller's COP: heat per TR is 3.517 kW divided by COP, which is roughly 8 kg/h of low-pressure steam per TR for a single-stage machine (COP 0.7–0.8) and roughly 5 kg/h per TR for a two-stage machine (COP 1.1–1.4). If you buy steam, a two-stage machine halves much of that cost.
Worked example: Kejriwal Geotech, Surat
Kejriwal Geotech installed two BROAD single-stage steam chillers, 800 TR and 400 TR, driven only by zero-pressure steam left over from its continuous polymerisation line. The 1,200 TR plant avoids about 850 kW of electrical load, saves about ₹5.5 crore a year in electricity and paid back in roughly 7 months. Read the case study.
Payback calculator
Enter your load, tariff and the quote you have received. The defaults show a 500 TR plant running 6,000 hours a year on free waste heat.
Estimated annual saving
₹1.63 crore
- Electric chiller power today
- ₹1.68 crore/yr
- Absorption chiller pumps & controls
- ₹5.0 lakh/yr
- Steam
- ₹0/yr
- CO₂ avoided
- 1,467 t/yr
- Simple payback
- Enter your quote
Planning estimate. Excludes the larger cooling tower an absorption chiller needs, maintenance and financing. BROAD engineers confirm figures in a sizing study.
Get a sizing studyHow it works: annual saving = electric chiller power cost − absorption chiller pump power (3% of the electric chiller) − steam cost. Steam use is 8 kg/h per TR (single-stage) or 5 kg/h per TR (two-stage). CO₂ uses India's grid factor of about 0.72 kg per kWh (CEA). Payback = your quote ÷ annual saving.
Price and payback FAQs
What is the price of a vapour absorption chiller in India?
Is a vapour absorption chiller more expensive than an electric chiller?
What is the payback period of a vapour absorption chiller?
What running costs does a vapour absorption chiller have?
Let’s engineer your next cooling project
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