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Metro 2039Base Power
Subnautica 2 bases run on Solar Panels (1 to 8 energy per second by time of day), Hydroelectric Turbines in water currents, Thermal Plants by heat vents and Bioreactors burning fuel, linked by Power Transmitters and buffered by Power Storage. Without power a base makes no oxygen.
A Subnautica 2 base gets its power from four sources in Early Access as of Nov 4, 2026: Solar Panels on its roof, Hydroelectric Turbines placed in a natural water current, Thermal Plants by heat, and the Bioreactor, which burns fuel. A Solar Panel makes 1 to 8 energy per second depending on the time of day and costs only Titanium x1 and Quartz x2, so it is the first one most players build; Dexerto puts a well-placed Thermal Plant at up to 16 energy per second, day and night (Dexerto). Power matters beyond the machines: a base's oxygen goes offline when it has no power or when its modules draw more than it makes (Game Rant, May 16, 2026). Power Transmitters carry energy from a turbine or another base, and Power Storage keeps the surplus. In IzPrebuilt's May 20, 2026 guide, on the launch build, a Solar Panel gives 8 in sunlight and 2 at night or deep down, a turbine a constant 12, a Thermal Plant 16 on a vent or 12 in the warm water of the Graveyard, and a Bioreactor up to 20 when packed with Biofuel. The recipes below are from guides on the launch build (May 14 to 16, 2026). Building the base itself is on Base Building.
Quick facts
| Sources | Solar Panel, Hydroelectric Turbine, Thermal Plant, Bioreactor |
| Solar Panel | Titanium x1, Quartz x2; 1 to 8 energy per second; known from the start with the Habitat Builder |
| Hydroelectric Turbine | Titanium x3, Copper x3, Silver x3; in a natural current, linked by a Power Transmitter |
| Thermal Plant | Titanium x3, Copper x3, Gold x3; up to 16 energy per second (Dexerto) |
| Bioreactor | Titanium Ingot x2, Copper Ingot x2; burns fuel |
| Power Transmitter | Titanium x1, Copper x1 |
| Power Storage | Germanium Ingot x1, Titanium x3, Salt x2 |
| Without power | Oxygen production goes offline |
| Creative mode | Power is not required |
Sources: Game Rant (Hamza Haq), May 16, 2026; Destructoid (Madison Benson), May 14, 2026; Destructoid, May 16, 2026; Dexerto, Best base locations, undated.
Power sources
| Source | Recipe | Output | Blueprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Panel | Titanium x1, Quartz x2 | 1 to 8 per second by time of day; 1 at night, or 2 near the surface; weaker with depth | Known with the Habitat Builder (Destructoid, Game Rant); one Game Rant guide says it is scanned from a broken panel |
| Hydroelectric Turbine | Titanium x3, Copper x3, Silver x3 | 12 per second, day and night, in Kysen's (May 14, 2026) and IzPrebuilt's (May 20, 2026) videos | Two fragments about 364 m and 390 m south-southwest of the Lifepod, by the current behind Camp One |
| Thermal Plant | Titanium x3, Copper x3, Gold x3 | Up to 16 per second, constant day and night (Dexerto); 16 on a vent, 12 in the Graveyard's warm water (IzPrebuilt, May 20, 2026) | Scanned in an abandoned base (Dexerto); Dexerto's base guide says three fragments |
| Bioreactor | Titanium Ingot x2, Copper Ingot x2 | Up to 20 per second with enough Biofuel, in IzPrebuilt's video (May 20, 2026) | Three fragments: Chap's black box cave about 220 m south, a metal crate about 390 m east by the volcanic area, the Old Habitat about 380 m north (west wing) |
Sources: Game Rant, May 16, 2026; Destructoid's blueprint locations, May 16, 2026; Dexerto, Thermal Plant, May 14, 2026; Dexerto, Hydroelectric Turbine, May 14, 2026; Game Rant's Processor guide for the Solar Panel scan. Dexerto says the Thermal Plant makes double a Solar Panel's peak and four more than a turbine; the turbine's 12 is read off the screen in Kysen's and IzPrebuilt's videos. Silver and Gold are on Resources.
Which power source is best?
Game Rant calls Solar Panels best for the very early game but unreliable, since they fall to 1 or 2 per second at night, and the Hydroelectric Turbine the more consistent choice once Silver is at hand (Game Rant). The number of Solar Panels is limited only by roof space, and there is no limit on turbines; several turbines can share one Power Transmitter. Dexerto's pick for steady power is a Thermal Plant at the thermal vents about 630 m east, which needs the plant's blueprint first and puts the base in hot water (Dexerto; see Best Base Locations). Turbines and Thermal Plants also work at night, which Solar Panels in deep bases cannot match. In Kysen's May 14, 2026 guide, on the launch build, a turbine reads 0 until it sits in a current, then 12, and keeps that at night.
How much power each machine uses
| Machine | Draw |
|---|---|
| Fabricator | 2 energy per second; one or two Solar Panels are enough, depending on depth |
| Processor | 10 energy per second; two or more Solar Panels, or a battery |
| Scanner Station | 10 energy per second |
| Battery Terminal | 1 energy per second per battery charging; a Basic Battery fills in about a minute |
| Metal Farm | Runs on base power; draw not published |
Sources: Game Rant's Fabricator, Processor, Scanner Station and battery guides, May 14 to 16, 2026, the launch build. The base power readout in the HUD shows what is made and used; update 1.2 removed decimals from it.
Transmitters, storage and charging
The Power Transmitter (Titanium x1, Copper x1) sends power by a visible beam from a turbine or plant to a base, or between two bases; its fragment lies next to the second Hydroelectric Turbine fragment (Game Rant). Power Storage (Germanium Ingot x1, Titanium x3, Salt x2) holds surplus energy for later, scanned in an abandoned base (Dexerto); its capacity is not published. The Battery Terminal (Titanium x2, Quartz x2, Copper Wire x1) charges six batteries, and the Power Cell Terminal (Titanium x3, Copper x3, Wiring Kit x1) charges the Power Cells the Tadpole runs on; a docked Tadpole also charges. Kysen's May 14, 2026 guide, on the launch build, links a turbine with three transmitters, the last on the base's roof; a transmitter floating above the roof adds nothing, a second turbine joins through the same chain, and the base goes from 24 to 36 and then 48 power.
Bioreactor fuel
The Bioreactor burns organic fuel. Picking up a Pent unlocks the Biofuel Block recipe (Game Rant), and since update 1.2 (Aug 19, 2026) Algae Blocks and Nutrient Blocks can be used as Bioreactor fuel too, after a bug had refused them. The same update stopped the Bioreactor using fuel while set to Off (Unknown Worlds). How long a block lasts and how much it makes are not published as of Nov 4, 2026. Jade PG CRAFTED's May 16, 2026 guide, on the launch build, says Biofuel Blocks outlast raw plants and lists Pent, Fibrous Pulp and coral crab waste as what they are made from.
Power fixes by update
| Update | Power fixes |
|---|---|
| 1.1 (Jul 8, 2026) | A base's power display going wrong after save and load when two bases were linked by a transmitter |
| 1.2 (Aug 19, 2026) | Hydroturbines stopping after 120 to 160 minutes once the player swam away; Solar Panels stopping after 45 to 60 minutes with several bases in a save; bases staying powered after Power Storage ran dry; Bioreactor burning fuel while Off; Algae and Nutrient Blocks refused as fuel; Power Cell Terminals buildable only low in a base; slowdowns from many transmitters close together; Battery and Power Cell Terminals charging and draining in Creative mode; Metal Farms producing without power or out of range |
| Buddy System Hotfix 1 (Sep 1, 2026) | The transmitter beam offset and flickering; in-progress Axum Powerplant Turbines vanishing (finish the ghost at no cost) |
| Buddy System Hotfix 2 (Oct 6, 2026) | Thermal and Hydroelectric Generators losing or misreporting power after streaming out and back in |
Sources: Unknown Worlds' notes for 1.1, 1.2, Buddy System Hotfix 1 and Buddy System Hotfix 2. Anything still broken is on Known Issues and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get power in Subnautica 2? Build a Solar Panel on your base's roof with the Habitat Builder (Titanium x1, Quartz x2). Later add Hydroelectric Turbines in water currents, Thermal Plants by heat vents or a Bioreactor.
Why does my base say oxygen production offline in Subnautica 2? The base has no power, or its machines use more than its sources make. Add Solar Panels or a turbine, or turn machines off.
How much power does a Solar Panel make in Subnautica 2? 1 to 8 energy per second depending on the time of day, falling to 1 at night (2 near the surface), and less the deeper the base is, per Game Rant on the launch build.
Where is the Hydroelectric Turbine in Subnautica 2? Game Rant found its two fragments about 364 m and 390 m south-southwest of the Lifepod, by the water current behind Camp One, with the Power Transmitter fragment next to the second.
What is the best power source in Subnautica 2? For steady power, a Hydroelectric Turbine in a current (Game Rant) or a Thermal Plant, which Dexerto puts at up to 16 energy per second day and night. Solar Panels are cheap but weak at night.
How does the Power Transmitter work in Subnautica 2? It sends power from a turbine or plant, or another base, to your base by a beam. Several turbines can share one transmitter.
Sources
- Subnautica 2 - The Ultimate Beginner Guide!, Kysen, May 14, 2026 (video)
- SUBNAUTICA 2 How To get Every Resource! Deepwing Eggs! Silver! Metal Farms And More Full Guide, Jade PG CRAFTED, May 16, 2026 (video)
- Subnautica 2 How to Build a PERFECT Base, IzPrebuilt, May 20, 2026 (video)
- Subnautica 2 Early Access 1.1 - Adaptive Measures Update, Unknown Worlds, Jul 8, 2026
- Subnautica 2 Early Access 1.2 - Buddy System Update, Unknown Worlds, Aug 19, 2026
- Subnautica 2 Early Access Buddy System Hotfix 1, Unknown Worlds, Sep 1, 2026
- Subnautica 2 Early Access Buddy System Hotfix 2, Unknown Worlds, Oct 6, 2026
- How to Add Base Power in Subnautica 2 (Oxygen Production Offline), Game Rant (Hamza Haq), May 16, 2026
- How to Fix "Requires Fully Functional Fabricator", Game Rant (Mehrdad Khayyat), May 14, 2026
- How to Build Processors and Craft Ingots, Game Rant (Mehrdad Khayyat), May 14, 2026
- How to Build a Scanner Station, Game Rant (Hamza Haq), May 14, 2026
- How to Recharge Tools and Batteries, Game Rant (Hamza Haq), May 16, 2026
- How to Scan & Unlock Blueprints, Game Rant (William Parks), May 14, 2026
- How to unlock base building in Subnautica 2, Destructoid (Madison Benson), May 14, 2026
- All blueprints and recipes in Subnautica 2, Destructoid (Madison Benson), May 16, 2026
- All Subnautica 2 blueprint locations, Destructoid (Arka Sarkar), May 16, 2026
- Best base locations, Dexerto, undated
- Thermal Plant, Dexerto, May 14, 2026
- Hydroelectric Turbine, Dexerto, May 14, 2026
- Power Storage, Dexerto, May 14, 2026
Moments
Subnautica 2 How to Build a PERFECT Base
IzPrebuilt
Subnautica 2 - The Ultimate Beginner Guide!
Kysen
SUBNAUTICA 2 How To get Every Resource! Deepwing Eggs! Silver! Metal Farms And More Full Guide
Jade PG CRAFTED
Related
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FarmingFarming in Subnautica 2 means Growbeds, built for Titanium x1, that grow plants from a seed item such as a Pent, Lucifer Rotsac or Fibrous Pulp, and since update 1.2 Necrolei Cysts. The Metal Farm, an Axum machine, grows a chosen resource on base power.
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Anemone HillsThe Anemone Hills are Subnautica 2's biome of towering pink-and-green anemones about 300 m northwest of the Lifepod, 0 to 151 m deep, where the infected Heat Tolerance Angel Comb waits behind Bloom you clear with the Sonic Resonator.
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Coral GardensCoral Gardens and North Coral Gardens are Unknown Worlds' names for Subnautica 2's early coral areas around the Lifepod; update 1.1 (Jul 8, 2026) put a second Biolab and more Silver there, and 1.2 gave North Coral Gardens its own music.
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Dolerite SpiresThe Dolerite Spires are a maze of jagged volcanic pillars in Subnautica 2's starting region, shallow to mid depth, with Lithium and Titanium, Quaker's Meetinghouse and two Spires wrecks that All Things How lists for the High Capacity Air Tank and the Rebreather on the launch build.
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GraveyardThe Graveyard is Subnautica 2's hot, orange-watered biome, 0 to 266 m deep, that needs the Heat Tolerance Adaptation; it holds Gold, Salt, Sulfur and Lithium, the Tadpole Pens, Tailings Village, a Cicada Wreck, Nahema's Lab and hundreds of Water Slugs.
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Metal FarmsThe Axum Metal Farms are the far eastern edge of Subnautica 2's Early Access map, about 2,000 to 2,200 m east-northeast of the Lifepod beside the Karakorum Power Plant, the only source of Troilite and Atacamite and where you find the Axum Bacterial Culture to build a Metal Farm of your own.
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Necrolei HillsThe Necrolei Hills are Subnautica 2's infected hills about 300 m northwest of the Lifepod, the main source of Necrolei Cysts for Strong Acid, with Copper, Titanium, Deepwing Egg Clumps and fauna mutated by the Bloom.
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Observatory IslandObservatory Island is Subnautica 2's Axum tower rising out of the sea about 1,000 to 1,200 m east of the Lifepod, with the Alien Ruins (Unknown Worlds' Axum Ruins), the Rosetta Stone, a Biolab since 1.1 and the Axum Observatory, where the Early Access story stops.
See also
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SilverIn Subnautica 2, Silver is found in shallow caves north of the Lifepod, marked by orange Pent plants at the cave mouths, and Unknown Worlds added more Silver to the early game region in Hotfix 2 and in Coral Gardens in update 1.1. It makes the Standard Air Tank, Wiring Kits, the Wakemaker and Silver Ingots.
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ResourcesSubnautica 2's resources run from Titanium, Copper and Quartz around the Lifepod, through Silver and Lead to the north and northeast and Gold, Sulfur and Lithium in the hot volcanic area, to Celestine, Conduit Crystal, Troilite and Atacamite in the far east. This page lists each one with where guides found it on the launch build, the tool it needs and what it makes.
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Best Base LocationsThe guides' best base spots in Subnautica 2 are a plateau by a water current about 200 m east of the Lifepod for free turbine power, the thermal vents about 630 m east for steady Thermal Plant power, and an outpost near the Alien Ruins about 1,150 m east for the late game.
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Known Issues and FixesSubnautica 2's common problems in Early Access are start-up crashes on AMD and DirectX 12, DLSS crashes, saves that seem to vanish after a crash, mods breaking after an update and Angel Combs that would not open; most were fixed by patches through Buddy System Hotfix 2 (Oct 6, 2026). This page lists each issue, the patch that fixed it and what to do.