Meghan Hodges
In Factorio, pollution is represented as a red cloud and is produced by buildings involved in processing items. The amount of pollution generated by a building is directly proportional to its energy consumption. As a result, buildings with the most modules are likely to produce the most pollution. Additionally, burning fires and trees also contribute to pollution. While idle buildings do not produce pollution, they may still contribute indirectly through their passive energy use. Certain in-game mechanics and mods can also affect pollution levels, such as the use of productivity modules and the Factorissimo2 mod, which adds factory buildings to the game.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Buildings that produce pollution | Buildings involved in processing items, such as factories and assembly machines |
| Pollution representation | Abstract "cloud" visible on the map and minimap |
| Pollution calculation | Per chunk, updated every 64 ticks (4 ticks more than a game-second) |
| Pollution spread | Outwards at a steady rate; starts spreading in all four directions when a chunk reaches 15.0 pollution |
| Impact of pollution | Triggers biter attacks and determines their size; increases evolution factor |
| Pollution absorption | Spawners absorb pollution, increasing evolutionary factor; trees also absorb pollution |
| Pollution reduction | Modules that reduce power usage; negative pollution engines |
| Idle buildings | Consume negligible electricity and produce insignificant pollution |
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What You'll Learn
Idle buildings
In the game Factorio, idle buildings generally do not produce pollution. However, there are some nuances to this statement. Firstly, it is important to distinguish between depowered and powered idle buildings. Depowered and unfuelled devices do not generate pollution, as they are not actively consuming energy. On the other hand, powered or fuelled devices, even when idle, may exhibit a passive energy drain, which can contribute to pollution. This passive energy consumption is typically negligible and results in minimal pollution.
The relationship between energy consumption and pollution generation is critical to understanding idle building pollution. Pollution generation is directly proportional to energy consumption. Therefore, modules that reduce power usage also reduce pollution creation. For example, higher-tier assembling machines consume more power but produce less pollution. Similarly, inserting productivity modules into buildings increases pollution as they boost the building's energy consumption.
Some players have observed that idle factories and bases can exhibit low levels of pollution. This pollution may be due to the passive energy consumption of idle buildings or the small amount of energy required to keep them in a standby state. However, these pollution levels are typically insignificant and may be absorbed by the environment, resulting in a "clear-out" of pollution over time.
It is worth noting that pumps are an exception to the rule. Pumps always produce pollution, even when idle, as they require a constant energy supply, regardless of whether they are actively pumping fluid or not. This unique characteristic of pumps has been a topic of discussion among players, who have questioned why pumps behave differently from other idle buildings.
Lastly, while idle buildings themselves may not produce significant pollution, the electricity generation process can be a source of pollution. For example, if a player uses steam power to generate electricity, the process will produce pollution, even if the electricity is then used to power idle buildings that do not directly pollute. Therefore, the overall pollution output of a player's machinery and infrastructure can be complex and dependent on various factors, including energy sources and building efficiency.
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Buildings with modules
In Factorio, modules are items used to enhance the capabilities of existing buildings. They are expensive and require appropriate research, but they can significantly improve a factory's efficiency. There are three types of modules, each with three tiers of effects. Higher tiers have stronger effects but are more expensive. The three types of modules are:
- Speed modules: These increase the speed and energy consumption of a machine. If used with productivity modules, they can increase efficiency in terms of items produced per joule or items produced per unit of pollution generated.
- Productivity modules: These provide a productivity improvement when placed inside item-producing buildings and labs. Each time the machine finishes crafting a recipe, a percentage equal to the productivity modules inside is added to the bar.
- Efficiency modules: These reduce a machine's energy consumption, which can help reduce pollution as pollution is directly linked to energy usage.
Other types of modules mentioned in the game include quality modules, which increase the chance of producing higher-quality items, and modules that list "+x% pollution", which increase the pollution multiplier.
There are also mods available for Factorio that introduce modular buildings, allowing players to design their own specific buildings and combine certain buildings into larger single entities.
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Factory buildings
In the game Factorio, pollution is represented as a red cloud and is produced by buildings involved in processing items. It spreads outwards steadily and is used to trigger biter attacks.
Idle buildings in Factorio, including factory buildings, do not produce pollution if they are completely inactive and not consuming any electricity. However, if a building has a passive energy use, it will still generate a small amount of pollution even when idle. This passive pollution is indirectly caused by the building's energy source, such as coal power.
Players can reduce pollution by using mods that introduce negative pollution or by placing pollution scrubbers outside their factory buildings. However, simply placing a polluting factory building inside a pollution-cleaning factory building will not work as the pollution will be transferred outside faster than it can be cleaned.
It is worth noting that the specific pollution generation mechanics and formulas may vary depending on the version of the game and the mods installed.
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Energy consumption
In Factorio, pollution is a crucial aspect of the game that influences the evolution factor and triggers attacks from biters. It is represented as a red cloud on the map and is produced by buildings involved in item processing. While the pollution cloud itself does not increase the evolution factor, the pollution produced by the player's machinery contributes to it, leading to larger and more frequent biter attacks.
Idle buildings, such as an assembly machine with no available input materials, have a negligible energy consumption and, therefore, produce minimal pollution. However, they still contribute indirectly to pollution through their passive energy drain, especially if steam power is used.
The type of modules installed in buildings also impacts pollution levels. Productivity modules, for example, increase pollution, while certain engines can produce "negative pollution," effectively reducing overall pollution levels. Additionally, the number of modules in a building contributes to pollution, with buildings containing more modules tending to produce more pollution.
Players can utilize factory buildings introduced by the Factorissimo mod to manage pollution. These buildings allow players to construct factories within them, and all pollution generated inside is transferred outside. While placing a polluting factory inside a pollution-cleaning factory is not effective, players can employ strategies such as redesigning their base layout or using specific engines to minimize pollution and its impact on the game environment.
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Pollution absorption
Trees play a crucial role in pollution absorption in Factorio. They absorb pollution, but the rate at which they do so depends on the density of their leaves. Trees with denser leaves absorb pollution more quickly, while those with less dense leaves absorb pollution at a slower rate. Additionally, trees will degenerate slowly when exposed to high levels of pollution, impacting their ability to absorb pollution over time.
Another structure that absorbs pollution is the Biochamber. The Biochamber generates negative pollution, effectively removing pollution from the environment while it is active. The amount of negative pollution generated by the Biochamber is proportional to its energy consumption. However, it is important to note that Biochambers do not absorb spores, a unique form of pollution generated when yumako trees or jellystems are harvested.
Spawners also absorb pollution, which influences the evolutionary factor and the assignment of enemies to attacks. The pollution absorption logic of spawners has been changed to prevent all the pollution in a chunk from building up in a single spawner. This ensures that pollution is distributed more evenly among spawners.
Mods can also be utilised to modify pollution absorption in Factorio. The Pollution Tweaks mod, for example, allows players to decide how much pollution certain tiles absorb, providing more control over the impact of pollution in the game.
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Frequently asked questions
Idle buildings do produce a small amount of pollution, even when idle, as they have a passive energy drain. However, the amount of pollution is insignificant as they consume very little energy when idle.
Pollution generation is directly proportional to energy consumption. Modules that reduce power usage will reduce pollution creation, and vice versa.
Buildings with the most modules will likely produce the most pollution. Heavily boosted buildings will also likely account for most of the pollution produced.
