A thermodynamic analysis (first and second laws) was performed for a coke dry quenching (CDQ) unit with all data obtained in the site and under the unit normal operating conditions. Expressions to evaluate the coke specific heat, enthalpy, entropy and physical and chemical exergies, as well as particulate material (dust) formation indices, and the loss of coke mass through chemical reactions, were developed and compared with the literature. The analysis was extended to a coke wet quenching (CWQ) unit, a process still largely used across the world. The procedure is fully described. The comparison between the performances of the CDQ and CWQ processes supports that such analysis can be a useful and accessible tool in the decision making process.