Satisfactory Nuclear Power Guide: Reactors, Fuel Rods & 0% Waste

Much like in real life, nuclear power is an excellent energy source that could solve many of your problems in Satisfactory in no time. However, the entire process involves a huge amount of work, and the materials you handle are radioactive. You also need to work your way up to Tier 9 before you can set up a complete consumption chain. Today we take a closer look at nuclear power in Satisfactory, how to use it, and the hurdles you will face. We also compare nuclear energy with other fuels.

Satisfactory nuclear power guide: reactors, power output and water requirements

With Tier 8 you unlock Nuclear Power Plants, one of the last ways to upgrade your power production. Up to now, you’ve probably relied on fuel and perhaps already used Turbofuel or even ionised fuel, but nuclear power takes things to another level.

A single reactor requires:

• 10x Supercomputer
• 25x Heavy Modular Frame
• 100x Alclad Aluminum Sheet
• 200x Cable
• 250x Concrete

Compared with the Fuel Generator, which produces only 250 MW, a Nuclear Power Plant delivers ten times as much. Its 2500 MW become absolutely essential in the endgame as you expand your factories. The trade-off for this massive amount of energy is that you must handle radioactive elements. Nuclear reactors can run on three different fuels: uranium, plutonium and Ficsorium.

To operate them, you’ll need the appropriate fuel rods for each nuclear material and a steady supply of water. The fuel rods must be cooled to prevent the release of radioactive particles. A reactor normally requires 240 m³ of water per minute, which changes depending on overclocking.

Uranium, plutonium and Ficsorium in Satisfactory: crafting fuel rods

In Satisfactory’s Nuclear Power Plant you can use three fuels that perform differently. You always start with uranium, which you can mine in the world. From there, you can work your way up by feeding the by-products into the next production line. In the end, you can process everything into clean fuel, which is what makes nuclear power so practical.

Tip: There are alternative recipes for all the following steps in the MAM. If you’re struggling, it’s worth checking other options. Here we focus on the default recipes so new players can understand and apply them.

Crafting uranium fuel rods: recipe, runtime and waste

Uranium Fuel Rods are your first step to running a nuclear reactor. Each rod yields 750,000 MJ and burns for five minutes to release energy, making it very effective.

Uranium Fuel Rods are assembled from three groups of materials:

• 50x Encased Uranium Cell: Complex components made from mined Uranium, Concrete, and Sulfuric Acid. As a by-product, you also get Sulfuric Acid, which you can loop back into the process.
• 3x Encased Industrial Beam: Available since Tier 4. If needed, see (Satisfactory Tier 4 Guide: Blueprints & Logistics Mk. 3) . An alternative recipe can simplify things here.
• 5x Electromagnetic Control Rod: A bit more involved; you’ll need Stators and AI Limiters. Both are manageable as you progress.

You then feed the finished Uranium Fuel Rods into the Nuclear Power Plant. The problem: this also creates a by-product. After five minutes of runtime, each rod produces 50x Uranium Waste.

Uranium Waste is one reason nuclear power is so complex. You cannot delete it, dump it, or put it into the AWESOME Sink. That’s what makes nuclear waste so problematic. You must process it further so it doesn’t accumulate radioactivity and endanger your other factories.

Crafting plutonium fuel rods: efficiency, recipes and cooling

Fortunately, there is a solution. Process Uranium Waste directly into Plutonium Fuel Rods. These are twice as effective as uranium, run for 10 minutes in the reactor, and are among the best energy sources in the entire game. The price is a very complex production line.

In addition to the entire Uranium Fuel Rod chain, you’ll need:

• 30x Encased Plutonium Cell: Requires Concrete and Plutonium Pellets, which you make from Uranium Waste. You also need 100x Non-Fissile Uranium, another complex recipe.
• 18x Steel Beam: The simplest part of the plutonium rod.
• 6x Electromagnetic Control Rod: Same as for uranium rods.
• 10x Heat Sink: Not too complicated, but one more component. Crafted from Copper Sheet and Alclad Aluminum Sheet.

After all that effort, Plutonium Fuel Rods deliver immense energy. Unfortunately, they also produce waste.

Ficsorium fuel rods with zero waste: Tier 9 recipes and materials

You can also convert plutonium waste once you unlock the fictional Ficsorium at Tier 9. The resulting fuel rods are less efficient and burn in just one minute, but they finally produce 0% waste.

In addition to the previous steps, you’ll need:

• 2x Ficsorium: Requires both waste and Dark Matter as well as Singularity Cell. Both recipes are very complex.
• 2x Electromagnetic Control Rod: As described above.
• 40x FICSIT Trigon: Relatively simple. You craft it from FICSIT Ingot. For that you need SAM (Strange Alien Metal).
• 20 m³ Excited Photonic Matter: Can be made in the Converter and requires no input.

Is nuclear power worth it in Satisfactory? Compared with Turbofuel and alternatives

With all this effort, that’s the key question. The complex blueprints can be off-putting. Yes, nuclear power produces immense amounts of energy, but to end up with no radioactive waste, you must carry the entire production chain through to the end. Ficsorium, in particular, poses new challenges and can be frustrating.

Our tip: Even though standard fuel yields less energy per unit, Turbofuel is often the best overall solution. The effort is manageable and you still generate a lot of power. It’s a good balance between complexity and output.

Conclusion: nuclear power in Satisfactory with zero per cent waste

Nuclear power unlocks at Tier 8 and offers a strong option for energy generation. You can produce enormous amounts of power, but at a price. Three complex production lines, many demanding recipes, and handling radioactivity including nuclear waste all require time and planning. The end result is very satisfying. Whether it’s worth the effort depends on your playstyle.

Rent one of our Satisfactory servers right now and try nuclear power in-game. You might even enjoy working out the entire process and ultimately using the best energy source in Satisfactory.