Thermal Plant (Subnautica)

The Thermal Plant is a generator crafted with the Habitat Builder that converts nearby high temperatures (>15°C) into Energy. It can also be damaged, and will be destroyed if struck ten times with the Survival Knife.

The Thermal Plant can produce limitless power for Seabases given time and proximity to heat; for an approximation, for water temperatures above 50°C one Thermal Plant will produce about five less energy per minute than the water temperature it is placed in. Lower water temperatures will still produce energy, but as the water temperature gets lower the actual energy under-performs the projected output by more and more. On the Thermal Plant is a screen that displays the temperature of the surrounding area.

One Thermal Plant can store up to 250 energy at a time.

Lava Geysers are optimal spots to place Thermal Plants. Near the center of the geyser, temperatures can reach well over 50°C, meaning that a well-placed plant can produce power rapidly and around the clock. Because the eruptions can damage the plant, be careful with its placement. Given that Thermal Plants have to be built outside a seabase and need to be close to a heat source, it may be necessary to use Power Transmitters to connect the Thermal Plant to a seabase.

When placing with the Habitat Builder, the Thermal Plant can be shown in three different colors. Red means it cannot be placed. Yellow indicates it can be built in that location, but the surrounding area is too cold and the Thermal Plant will not generate power. Green signifies the plant can be placed, and will generate power.