<p>The urgent need to combat climate change has heightened efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, particularly from industrial sources such as power plants and the transportation sector. Therefore, decarbonization is necessary, yet the process remains costly due to infrastructure and operational challenges. This study proposes a methodology for analyzing and improving the performance of solvent-based carbon capture systems using absorber and stripper columns. The methodology incorporates thermal and hydraulic analyses, as well as the column internal designs to identify inefficiencies and recommend improvements. Hydraulic plots from the column internal designs of trays or packing height determine whether the operations fall within feasible regions and avoid problems like flooding and weeping. Thermal analysis uses column-targeting tools to produce column grand composite curves and exergy loss profiles, which reveal energy efficiency throughout the column. Hydraulic analysis compares thermodynamic ideal minimum flow, hydraulic maximum flow, and actual flow to assess the performance of the columns. The methodology is applied to a system using diethanolamine as the solvent to perform a comprehensive assessment of the performance of the columns in carbon capture. Results demonstrate that the proposed methodology may identify performance shortcomings and suggest modifications for improving energy efficiency and tray or packing performance and hence lowering the costs of carbon capture systems.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>