Trystan Casey
The Electric Furnace is the last tier of furnace available in the vanilla Factorio game, superseding the Steel Furnace. To unlock the Electric Furnace, you need to research Advanced Electronics, Advanced Material Processing, and Advanced Material Processing 2. The Electric Furnace offers several advantages over the Steel Furnace, such as the ability to equip modules to increase productivity and the flexibility to be placed anywhere. However, some players have noted that the Electric Furnace is unlocked relatively late in the game, and it has the same crafting speed as the Steel Furnace, making the upgrade less appealing. Nevertheless, the Electric Furnace simplifies the logistics of smelting and can be powered by solar or nuclear energy.
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What You'll Learn
Electric furnaces can be unlocked by researching advanced material processing
However, it's important to note that even with efficiency modules, electric furnaces may not be as power-efficient as steel furnaces. They require a significant amount of power, so it is recommended to switch to electric furnaces only when you can fully supply them with modules and have solved your power and space issues. Electric furnaces are larger in size and run at the same speed as steel furnaces, so they don't offer a crafting speed advantage.
Despite this, electric furnaces are still a valuable upgrade for players who intend to continue playing beyond launching a single rocket. They can be powered by solar or nuclear energy, and their ability to equip modules provides flexibility and increased productivity. The electric furnace is a useful tool for players who want to focus on expanding their operations and streamlining their smelting processes.
To craft an electric furnace, players will need to have researched Advanced Electronics, Advanced Material Processing, and Advanced Material Processing 2. Additionally, specific materials are required for crafting, including electronic circuits, iron plates, and steel plates. The electric furnace has a crafting speed of 2, matching the speed of the steel furnace, and it has two slots for modules. It is used for smelting iron and copper ore into plates and stone into stone bricks.
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They can be placed anywhere, unlike steel furnaces
Electric furnaces are unlocked in the late stages of the game, after you have researched Advanced Electronics, Advanced Material Processing, and Advanced Material Processing 2. They are not an upgrade from steel furnaces in terms of crafting speed, but they do offer several other advantages.
One of the main benefits of electric furnaces is their flexibility in placement. Unlike steel furnaces, electric furnaces can be placed anywhere without the need for coal or solid fuel. This simplifies the logistics of smelting by reducing the number of inputs required. Electric furnaces can be easily built wherever they are needed, making them more convenient and efficient in terms of space utilisation.
The ability to place electric furnaces anywhere streamlines the smelting process and allows for greater flexibility in factory design. Players are not restricted by fuel sources or the layout of their coal supply when setting up their smelting operations. This freedom of placement can lead to more optimised and creative factory layouts.
Electric furnaces also accept modules, which can increase productivity and speed. With the use of speed beacons and productivity modules, players can achieve a high level of efficiency with a relatively small setup. However, it is important to note that electric furnaces may not be as power-efficient as steel furnaces, and the full utilisation of modules may require a significant number of them.
While the late unlock time of electric furnaces can be seen as a challenge and an incentive to continue playing, some players may prefer to unlock all technologies at the start when playing in 'creative mode'. Additionally, the electric furnace's larger size may pose a challenge for players with limited space in their factories.
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Electric furnaces are best used when you can supply them with modules
Electric furnaces in Factorio can be equipped with modules to increase productivity and be affected by beacons to increase speed. They are best used when you can supply them with modules, as this will make them incredibly efficient.
Electric furnaces have several advantages over steel furnaces, but almost none of them apply when you first unlock them. They are more expensive and require more space, but they can be placed anywhere without needing to worry about coal or solid fuel. They also simplify the logistics of smelting as you only need one input.
One of the main benefits of electric furnaces is their ability to equip modules. Speed modules are good, but productivity modules are even better as they increase yield. The production slowdown caused by productivity modules can be offset by using beacons with speed modules, but this increases energy usage.
Tier 3 modules are very expensive, so it may not be worth using them with electric furnaces. However, if you have solved your power and space issues, electric furnaces with modules can be a great way to increase your material output.
To unlock electric furnaces in Factorio, you need to research Advanced Material Processing and its subsequent levels to access higher tiers of electric furnaces.
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They can be powered by solar or nuclear energy
Electric furnaces in Factorio can be powered by solar or nuclear energy. While electric furnaces are more efficient than steel furnaces, they consume a lot of electricity. This makes them a less viable option until you have enough solar/nuclear energy to meet their high energy demand.
Solar energy is a clean, pollution-free power source that can be used to defend your base. Large solar fields can be set up around your base, ensuring that the pollution cloud doesn't touch biter nests. This means that only expansions will hit your defenses, instead of pollution-triggered attacks. However, solar energy may take up too much space, and you may need a lot of solar panels to meet the energy demands of electric furnaces.
Nuclear energy, on the other hand, is a more compact and efficient energy source. To utilize nuclear energy, you will need to mine uranium ore, which can be identified by its green colour. You will need an electric mining drill and sulfuric acid to mine the uranium ore. Once you have the raw uranium ore, you will need to process it into uranium-235 and uranium-238. Uranium-235 will be used to create fuel cells, which will be burned in a nuclear reactor to generate usable energy. Each fuel cell will provide 2000 seconds of reactor power and will be consumed every 200 seconds. The heat generated by the reactor will then be used to produce electricity through heat exchangers and steam turbines. To maximize the efficiency of your nuclear reactors, you can place them in an aligned double row, with each reactor fully touching its neighbour. This setup will activate the neighbour bonus, providing a significant boost to heating power.
Both solar and nuclear energy have their advantages and disadvantages. Solar energy is clean and unlimited but requires a lot of space. Nuclear energy is more compact and efficient but requires a more complex setup and the processing of uranium ore. Ultimately, the choice between solar and nuclear energy will depend on your specific circumstances and preferences.
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Electric furnaces can smelt iron and copper ore
Electric furnaces are the last tier of furnaces you can unlock in the vanilla Factorio game. They supersede steel furnaces and offer several advantages over them. Firstly, electric furnaces can be placed anywhere, simplifying the logistics of smelting as you only need one input. Secondly, they accept modules, which can increase productivity and be affected by beacons to increase speed. For example, you can use productivity modules to get more iron per iron.
However, it's important to note that electric furnaces are not more efficient in terms of fuel usage. In fact, they require more power, so it is recommended to switch to them only when you can fully supply them with modules. They also take up more space, so you may need to address any power/space issues before making the switch.
To craft an electric furnace, you need to research Advanced Electronics, Advanced Material Processing, and Advanced Material Processing 2. The electric furnace can then be used to smelt iron and copper ore into their respective plates, iron plates into steel plates, and stone into stone bricks.
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Frequently asked questions
To unlock the electric furnace, you need to research Advanced Electronics, Advanced Material Processing, and Advanced Material Processing 2.
Electric furnaces can be placed anywhere and do not require coal or solid fuel. They also have two slots for modules and can be affected by beacons to increase speed.
It is recommended to switch to electric furnaces when you can fully supply them with modules and have solved your power and space issues.
Electric furnaces may take up more space and not produce faster than steel furnaces. They are also less fuel-efficient, so a stable power source is required.
