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Coal power unlocks at Tier 3. A standard Coal-Powered Generator produces 75 MW at 100% clock speed and needs a steady supply of both coal and water: 15 coal and 45 m³ of water per minute. For a bank of eight generators, plan for 120 coal per minute and three Water Extractors—but distribute the water across pipes carefully, because one Mk.1 Pipeline cannot carry the full 360 m³/min those generators need.
What you need before building
Coal power becomes available at Tier 3. Each Coal-Powered Generator needs a conveyor connection for coal and a Pipeline connection for water; if either fuel requirement is not met, the generator shuts down. At 100% clock speed, one generator produces 75 MW and consumes 15 coal per minute and 45 m³ of water per minute. See the Official Satisfactory Wiki’s Coal-Powered Generator reference for the documented rates.
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Choose a generator and water layout
Simple two-generator pairing
One Water Extractor at 75% clock speed supplies the 90 m³/min needed by two standard generators. This pairing is straightforward to understand and distribute, though it is not the only viable layout.
Eight-generator bank
Three Water Extractors at 100% produce 360 m³/min in total, exactly matching the demand of eight generators. Those eight generators also require 120 coal per minute. These totals follow from the documented rates of 120 m³/min per extractor and 45 m³/min and 15 coal/min per generator. The 3-to-8 ratio is a useful whole-machine planning ratio, not a guarantee that a particular pipe arrangement will deliver enough water.
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Extractor power and layout trade-offs
Three Water Extractors at 100% consume 60 MW in total. Four Extractors at 75% consume 50.4 MW and pair simply with two generators apiece. The four-extractor option uses more machines but has lower combined extractor power demand; choose based on the layout and power overhead you can accommodate. The documented figures and generator mechanics are listed on the Official Satisfactory Wiki.
Plan around Pipeline throughput
A Mk.1 Pipeline carries up to 300 m³/min, while eight generators require 360 m³/min. Therefore, do not route the entire eight-generator bank’s water through one Mk.1 line as a single combined stream. Split or distribute the water feeds so no Mk.1 section must carry more than its 300 m³/min limit. A Mk.2 Pipeline is documented at 600 m³/min, but the layout still needs to deliver water to the generators rather than relying on the extractor ratio alone.
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- For eight generators, provide 360 m³/min of water in total.
- Keep each Mk.1 Pipeline section within its 300 m³/min throughput limit.
- Check that water reaches every generator, not just the first machines connected to a manifold.
The Pipeline limits and machine rates are documented in the generator reference.
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The official tutorial recommends building and connecting the new setup before connecting it to your main grid, then diverting coal supply and bringing the new setup online. This staged approach lets you establish the fuel and water connections before relying on the plant for power. The tutorial’s guidance is on the Official Satisfactory Wiki’s How to play tutorial.
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- Build the generators and water supply. Place the Coal-Powered Generators, Water Extractors, and Pipelines. For a larger bank, plan the water distribution around Pipeline capacity.
- Connect the water. Run Pipeline connections to the generators and check that the full bank is supplied rather than assuming the total extractor output guarantees flow everywhere.
- Connect the coal supply. Feed coal to each generator by conveyor. For eight standard generators, the total requirement is 120 coal per minute.
- Keep the new setup separate from the main grid while connecting it. Once the coal and water connections are in place, divert the coal supply and bring the plant online as described in the tutorial.
- Watch the generators after startup. If a generator shuts down, check both its coal input and its water delivery; either unmet fuel requirement can stop it.
Why a coal plant can run short of water
A correct extractor-to-generator total does not remove Pipeline constraints. The common eight-generator calculation asks for 360 m³/min, more than one Mk.1 Pipeline can carry. Distribution matters: inspect the route and the supply reaching each generator, and split the feeds or use a suitably rated line so the required flow is not forced through an undersized section.
The cited wiki pages do not specify a game patch version for these rates. They are the reference values available as of October 2026; verify them in-game if a future update changes generator or fluid behavior.
Quick Recap
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