In Satisfactory, coal power is an essential automated power solution that allows players to significantly scale up their electricity production beyond biomass. It functions by combining two crucial resources—coal and water—to generate electricity through dedicated Coal Generators.
The Fundamentals of Coal Power Generation
Coal power plants operate by continuously feeding both coal and water into Coal Generators, which then convert these resources into electricity for your factory. This process frees pioneers from the constant manual refueling required by biomass burners.
Essential Resources
To operate a coal power plant, you need a steady supply of:
- Coal: This solid fuel is extracted from specific resource nodes found across the planet.
- Water: A liquid resource, water must be pumped directly from bodies of water such as lakes or oceans.
Key Structures for Coal Power
Several interconnected buildings work together to form a functional coal power setup:
- Coal Generator: The primary power-producing building. Each generator consumes both coal and water to produce electricity.
- Water Extractor: Placed directly in water, this building pumps water into your piping system.
- Miner: Used to extract coal from a coal node. The output rate depends on the miner's tier and the node's purity.
- Conveyor Belts: Transport the extracted coal from the Miner to the Coal Generators.
- Pipes: Carry water from the Water Extractors to the Coal Generators.
- Power Poles: Distribute the generated electricity throughout your factory's power grid.
Setting Up Your First Coal Power Plant
Building a coal power plant involves a series of logical steps to ensure a continuous supply of both coal and water to your generators. Before starting, it's crucial to ensure that both coal nodes and a body of water are nearby your intended construction site.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Locate Resources: Begin by scouting for coal nodes that are situated close to a body of water. Proximity is key for efficient resource transportation.
- Extract Coal: Place a Miner directly on a coal node. Connect the miner's output to Conveyor Belts that lead towards where you plan to build your Coal Generators.
- Extract Water: Build one or more Water Extractors on the nearby body of water. These machines will pump water from the source.
- Transport Water: Connect the output of the Water Extractors to your Coal Generators using Pipes. Ensure the pipe network can deliver the required volume of water to all generators.
- Place Coal Generators: Position your Coal Generators strategically. Connect their coal input ports to your conveyor belt system and their water input ports to your pipe network.
- Connect Power: Link the Coal Generators to your existing factory's power grid using Power Poles. Each generator will contribute its output to the total power available.
- Prime and Power On: Once all connections are made and resources begin flowing, the Coal Generators will automatically start operating, producing consistent electricity.
Optimizing Your Coal Power Plant
Efficient design is crucial for maximizing power output and minimizing downtime. Understanding resource consumption and production rates is key.
Resource Ratios
Balancing the supply of coal and water with the demand of your generators is fundamental. Here's a look at the basic resource requirements for a standard setup:
| Machine | Inputs per min | Outputs per min | Power (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Generator | 15 Coal, 45 Water | 75 Power | |
| Water Extractor | - | 120 Water | 20 Power (Consumption) |
| Miner Mk.1 | - | 60 Coal (Normal node) | 5 Power (Consumption) |
A common and efficient ratio is to have 3 Water Extractors supplying 8 Coal Generators. This setup provides 360 units of water per minute (3 extractors x 120 water/min), exactly matching the 360 units of water per minute required by 8 generators (8 x 45 water/min). For the coal, you would need 2 Miner Mk.1s on normal nodes to produce the 120 coal per minute required for these 8 generators (8 x 15 coal/min).
Throughput Management
- Conveyor Belt Tiers: Always use conveyor belts that can handle the maximum coal output from your miners. For example, a single Miner Mk.1 on a Normal node produces 60 coal/min, which is well within the capacity of a Mk.1 conveyor belt.
- Pipe Flow Rate: Pipes also have a maximum flow rate. Standard pipes can transport up to 300 m³/min (units of water). For larger setups, consider multiple pipe lines or higher-tier pipes if available, to ensure adequate water delivery.
- Head Lift (Pressure): Water Extractors generate a certain amount of head lift (pressure). If you need to transport water uphill or over long distances, you might need to strategically place Pipeline Pumps to maintain flow.
Advanced Considerations
- Overclocking/Underclocking: Generators and Extractors can be overclocked using Power Shards to increase their output or underclocked to save power, adjusting resource consumption accordingly.
- Load Balancing: For very large setups, it's beneficial to perfectly balance the distribution of coal and water using techniques like manifold systems to ensure all generators receive an equal supply.
- Power Storage: While not directly part of the generation, Batteries can be used to store excess power, providing a buffer against temporary dips in production or spikes in consumption.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Coal power is a significant upgrade in Satisfactory, offering several benefits over earlier power sources, but also having its own set of challenges.
Advantages
- High Power Output: Provides significantly more power per setup than biomass burners.
- Fully Automated: Once set up, it requires no manual intervention, allowing you to focus on other factory expansions.
- Scalable: Can be expanded relatively easily by adding more generators, extractors, and miners.
Disadvantages
- Dual Resource Requirement: Needs both coal and water, often requiring factories to be built near specific geographical features.
- Infrastructure Intensive: Requires extensive networks of conveyor belts and pipes.
- Pollution: While not a direct game mechanic that impacts the player or environment, it aligns with real-world coal plant emissions (visually represented by smoke).
- Superseded: Eventually replaced by more powerful and cleaner energy sources like fuel generators and nuclear power.
