For a strong Satisfactory coal power start, the goal is not to drop a few generators and hope for the best. The goal is to escape manual Biomass Burners, stabilize your grid and create enough headroom to automate steel without constant power trips.
Key points
- One Coal-Powered Generator produces 75 MW and consumes 15 coal/min plus 45 m³ water/min at 100%.
- One Water Extractor produces 120 m³ water/min and consumes 20 MW at 100%.
- Mk.1 Conveyor Belts move 60 items/min; Mk.2 belts move 120 items/min.
- Space Elevator Phase 1 requires 50 Smart Plating and unlocks Tiers 3 and 4.
This route is for players who already have the HUB, basic plates, rods, wire, cable, screws and rotors running, but feel the factory choking every time a new assembler goes online. Follow the steps below and you will have a readable coal plant that can be checked, expanded and repaired quickly.
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Key Takeaways
- One Coal-Powered Generator consumes 15 coal/min and 45 m³ water/min while producing 75 MW at 100% clock speed.
- One Water Extractor produces 120 m³ water/min, so three extractors can support eight generators if the pipes are distributed correctly.
- A Mk.1 belt moves 60 items/min, which feeds four coal generators at most.
- Build near water and belt the coal in; long belts are easier to manage than awkward pipe runs.
- Keep the old biomass grid as backup until the coal plant runs for several minutes without warnings.
- After power is stable, prioritize Logistics Mk.2, Coal Power and Basic Steel Production.
Pick the site before placing generators
The best first site is not always next to your HUB. You need a coal node, a large enough body of water and enough flat space to line up generators, splitters and pipes. If you must compromise, build closer to water. Coal travels cleanly on belts; water becomes annoying when pipes climb too high or run too far.
Scan for coal, mark the route and bring plates, cable, rotors, concrete and reinforced plates before leaving the starter base. Place foundations near the water before machines. Even a small foundation pad keeps generators aligned and makes every future repair easier.
Build a beginner Satisfactory coal power ratio
The clean beginner target is eight generators. It gives 600 MW gross, needs 120 coal/min and 360 m³ water/min. If you only have a normal node with a Miner Mk.1, begin with four generators instead: 60 coal/min, 180 m³ water/min and 300 MW gross.
| Setup | Coal needed | Water needed | Extractor plan | Gross power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 generators | 30/min | 90 m³/min | 1 extractor at 75% | 150 MW |
| 4 generators | 60/min | 180 m³/min | 2 extractors at 75% or 100% | 300 MW |
| 8 generators | 120/min | 360 m³/min | 3 extractors at 100% | 600 MW |
- Place the Miner on coal and check its output rate.
- Run the coal belt to the water site, but keep the new plant isolated for now.
- Line up the generators with all coal inputs on the same side.
- Place Water Extractors facing the pipe route and connect water before final power hookup.
- Let coal and water buffers fill for a short time.
- Connect the plant to the main grid only when every generator has both resources.
Keep belts readable and correctly sized
Belts are the hidden limiter of early coal. A Mk.1 belt carries 60 items/min, so it feeds four generators. If you connect eight generators behind one Mk.1 belt, the final machines will starve even when the miner has enough coal available. Logistics Mk.2 fixes this by raising belt capacity to 120 items/min.
Use one main line, visible splitters and no unnecessary loops. Four generators can run from one Mk.1 belt. Eight generators need one Mk.2 belt or two separate Mk.1 coal lines. Place splitters in front of generator inputs so weak distribution is easy to spot.
Stabilize water before trusting the grid
Water causes most early coal failures. Three Water Extractors provide 360 m³/min, but a Mk.1 Pipeline carries 300 m³/min. That means you should not push all three extractors through one long pipe into the end of the row. Inject water at multiple points or split the pipe network into smaller groups.
Open each generator panel. If coal is full but water drops, the pipe layout is the issue. If water is full but coal drops, check the belt, miner, splitter direction or belt mark. This quick diagnosis saves a lot of rebuilding.
- Empty coal buffer: belt too slow, miner unpowered, wrong splitter direction or weak coal node.
- Empty water buffer: saturated pipe, unpowered extractor, missing pump or excessive height.
- Power trips: plant connected too early or total factory demand above capacity.
- One unstable generator: local input connection or buffer problem.
Choose milestones after coal is stable
Once the coal plant runs, do not spend the new power on random expansion. Use it to automate the parts that slow down milestones: rotors, reinforced plates, modular frames and cable. Your HUB should be fed by small production lines, not by your inventory.
Coal Power unlocks generators, Water Extractors and pipes. Logistics Mk.2 gives the belt capacity needed for clean eight-generator coal lines. Basic Steel Production then unlocks Foundries, Steel Beams, Steel Pipes and Versatile Frameworks, which push the save toward Phase 2. Steam’s official page describes Satisfactory as a factory automation game built around conveyors and resource handling, and coal is where that loop starts to feel reliable: official Steam page.
| Priority | Reason | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| Logistics Mk.2 | Unlock 120/min belts | Feed eight generators cleanly |
| Coal Power | Leave manual biomass behind | Continuous expandable power |
| Basic Steel Production | Unlock beams, pipes and frames | Prepare Phase 2 and heavier factories |
| Space Elevator Phase 1 | Unlock Tiers 3 and 4 | Open the mid-game milestone route |
Fix common mistakes before expanding
Watch the plant for five minutes before doubling it. A good coal plant is not merely switched on; it keeps buffers filled, avoids blinking production and leaves the power graph below total capacity. If maximum consumption already sits near capacity, add more generation before placing more assemblers.
Keep the grid understandable. Think in groups: power plant, basic production, milestone production. If a new assembler line trips the grid, you should know what to disconnect. For exact live ratios, check the official reference pages while adjusting: Coal-Powered Generator and Conveyor Belts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many coal generators should I build first?Start with four if your coal supply is limited. Move to eight once you can deliver 120 coal/min and have Mk.2 belts.
Check water first. Coal generators can stop when pipe flow is too low, even if the coal buffer looks healthy.
No. A Mk.1 belt carries 60 items/min, enough for four generators. Eight need 120 coal/min.
Near water in most saves. Belting coal is usually easier than moving water over long or high pipe routes.
Keep them as backup until the coal plant runs several minutes with stable coal, water and power capacity.
Take Logistics Mk.2 if needed, then prepare Basic Steel Production for the next major progression jump.
Use the Steam page, the Milestones page and the Coal-Powered Generator page.
Usually 30 to 60 minutes if materials are ready. The main delays are travel, foundations and pipe corrections.
Yes. Use your old biomass grid to start the miner and extractors, then switch the running coal plant into the main grid.
One Water Extractor underclocked to 75% produces 90 m³/min, matching two coal generators exactly.
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