Greta Jimenez
In the game Factorio, pollution is a concern for many players. While it is impossible to completely avoid pollution in the base game, there are strategies to reduce it. Pollution attracts enemies called biters that will attempt to destroy the source of the pollution. To reduce pollution, players can use efficiency modules, switch to electric drills and furnaces, adopt low-density mining patterns, and use solar or nuclear power instead of burner boilers. Trees absorb pollution but will degrade and die over time, so placing polluting buildings near forests can help reduce pollution until the trees die.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to reduce pollution in Factorio | Use efficiency modules, switch to electric drills, use solar power, use nuclear power, use energy efficiency mods, use hand mining and crafting, use Bio-Industries mod |
| How pollution works in Factorio | Pollution is produced by buildings involved in processing items and spreads in all four cardinal directions; it triggers biter attacks and determines the size of the attacks |
| Absorbing pollution | Trees absorb pollution, with more absorption when there are fewer leaves; spawners also absorb pollution and use it to assign enemies to attacks |
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What You'll Learn
- Switch to electric drills, as burners pollute 2.4x more per ore
- Use efficiency modules to reduce pollution from power plants
- Focus on reducing pollution from the biggest sources: boilers, resource extraction, and raw material processing
- Use solar power or nuclear power as less polluting alternatives to burner boiler-based power
- Plant trees to absorb pollution
Switch to electric drills, as burners pollute 2.4x more per ore
If you're looking to reduce pollution in your game of Factorio, one of the best steps you can take is to switch to electric drills. Burner drills produce 2.4 times more pollution per ore than their electric counterparts.
Electric drills mine iron ore, copper ore, uranium ore, stone and coal, and can be placed over a machine or chest that covers the output tile. They are 3x3 machines but mine in a 5x5 area, extending one tile away on each side. Electric drills are also able to pass excess sulphuric acid to each other when their fluid connectors are aligned, meaning multiple drills can be placed together with only one pipe input necessary to feed them all.
The pollution produced by electric drills is tied to how much power they consume, so lowering their power demand will also reduce the pollution they produce. Efficiency modules can be added to electric drills to increase their mining productivity, allowing them to mine more ore while reducing power demand. This will also reduce the pollution produced by the power plant, as the drills will require less energy and thus less coal will need to be burned.
While efficiency modules can be expensive or require a lot of space, they are a good way to reduce pollution in the game. You can also reduce pollution by hand-mining and hand-crafting as much of your production as possible, although this may slow down your progress.
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Use efficiency modules to reduce pollution from power plants
Efficiency modules can be used to reduce pollution from power plants in Factorio. While the game's wiki does not explicitly mention pollution reduction as a benefit of efficiency modules, players have observed that they do indeed reduce pollution. This is because pollution is directly tied to power consumption; when a building consumes less power, it pollutes less.
Efficiency modules can be added to assemblers and miners to reduce their power consumption and, consequently, their pollution output. For example, adding three level 1 efficiency modules to miners, which reduce energy consumption by 30% each, can hit the cap of -80% energy consumption. This results in an overall reduction in pollution production at the power plant, as less coal needs to be burned to power the miners.
Additionally, efficiency modules can be used in tandem with solar power to further reduce pollution. By switching from coal to solar power, players can significantly decrease the pollution generated by their power sources. The efficiency modules then help to reduce the pollution from energy consumption, resulting in an even greater reduction in overall pollution levels.
It is worth noting that while efficiency modules can significantly curb pollution, they do not eliminate it entirely. Players seeking to completely eradicate pollution may need to consider mods that introduce additional "green" production methods, such as the Bio-Industries mod, which offers air purification, tree nurseries, and improved solar power generators. However, these structures may come with trade-offs, such as high costs or significant space requirements.
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Focus on reducing pollution from the biggest sources: boilers, resource extraction, and raw material processing
To reduce pollution in Factorio, it is important to focus on the biggest sources: boilers, resource extraction, and raw material processing.
Boilers are a significant source of pollution in the game. They are used to convert water into steam, which can then be used to power steam engines for early power generation. To reduce pollution from boilers, players can switch to using electric drills instead of burners. Electric drills produce significantly less pollution per ore, with burners polluting 2.4 times as much. Additionally, players can utilize efficiency modules, which can remove almost all pollution by reducing the power consumption of buildings.
Resource extraction, particularly the extraction of stone and oil, can also contribute to high levels of pollution. To mitigate this, players should aim for sustainable practices. For example, instead of destroying all the resources in an area and having to rebuild from scratch, players can focus on selective extraction and sustainable harvesting. This reduces the need for excessive pollution-generating activities.
Raw material processing is another major source of pollution. This includes the use of machines and buildings involved in processing items, such as assemblers and furnaces. To reduce pollution in this area, players can prioritize the use of solar panels and electric power instead of relying solely on fuel-based energy sources. Additionally, upgrading to more efficient assemblers and steel furnaces can help reduce pollution output.
By focusing on these three key areas and implementing strategies such as sustainable practices, efficient technology, and alternative energy sources, players can significantly reduce pollution in Factorio. These measures not only help contain pollution but also reduce the frequency of biter attacks triggered by pollution clouds.
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Use solar power or nuclear power as less polluting alternatives to burner boiler-based power
Solar power is a renewable and clean energy source that can be used as an alternative to burner boiler-based power in Factorio. It does not produce any pollution and has no fuel costs. Solar panels generate power during the day, and you can simply add more panels and accumulators as your power needs grow. The optimal ratio is 0.84 accumulators per solar panel, and 23.8 solar panels per megawatt required by your factory.
However, solar farms can be space-intensive and require careful management of power storage due to the day/night cycle.
Nuclear power is another alternative to burner boiler-based power, offering very high power output. It requires higher-level technology and is more complex to manage than solar power, as it involves dealing with radioactive waste and the delicate balance of heat management. Nuclear reactors do not scale down power usage and will continuously consume fuel cells, so careful management is required to avoid wasting power.
To get started with nuclear power, you will need uranium ore, which can be identified by its green colour. You will also need heat exchangers to transfer heat from the reactor to your steam system, and steam turbines to convert the steam into usable power.
Both solar and nuclear power can be scaled up to meet your growing energy needs, but solar power is generally a more straightforward and environmentally friendly option for power generation in Factorio.
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Plant trees to absorb pollution
Planting trees is an effective way to reduce pollution in Factorio. Trees absorb pollution, with each tree absorbing 10 pollution per second. In areas with pollution levels above 60 units, trees will lose leaves or become greyer, but this does not affect their ability to absorb pollution.
To maximise the effectiveness of trees in reducing pollution, it is important to plant a thick wall of trees near pollution sources. This will create a natural barrier that regenerates itself faster than pollution can destroy it. Additionally, using agricultural towers to grow trees can be beneficial, as they will automatically harvest and replant trees, preventing pollution from killing them.
While trees are an effective pollution control measure, they do have some limitations. Trees will degenerate and die over time due to high pollution levels, and they cannot be replanted in the vanilla version of the game. Therefore, it is important to combine tree-planting with other pollution reduction strategies, such as using efficiency modules and switching to solar panels for energy production, to minimise pollution and its impact on the environment.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that the effectiveness of trees in reducing pollution may depend on the type of tree and the density of their leaves. Some players have observed that certain types of trees with lower leaf density may be more susceptible to the effects of pollution and may absorb pollution at a slower rate.
Overall, planting trees is a viable strategy to absorb pollution in Factorio, but it should be complemented with other pollution reduction techniques to achieve the best results.
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Frequently asked questions
You can't completely stop polluting in Factorio, but you can reduce it.
You can reduce pollution by using efficiency modules, solar power, or nuclear power. You can also reduce the pollution cloud that escapes your base by placing the highest-polluting items near any forests you have.
Efficiency modules can remove almost all pollution. They reduce the power consumption of buildings, which is tied to how much pollution they produce.
Reducing pollution helps to keep the pollution cloud smaller, which attracts fewer enemies.
You can also try hand-mining and hand-crafting as much of your production as possible, especially at the start of the game.
