Biochemical Refinery — FAQ
What does this mod do?
This mod adds the Biochemical Refinery — a large 7×7 refinery upgrade that requires nutrients with two input/output pipes on either side, allowing for easy advanced oil processing/coal liquefaction connecting.
How do I unlock it?
The recipe is unlocked by its own technology with agricultural science
What does it cost to build?
- 1x Biochamber
- 1x Oil Refinery
- 100× Steel Plate
- 80× Pipe
- 40× Advanced Circuit
- 20× Electric Engine Unit
What are the default stats?
| Parameter | Default | Configurable Range |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 7×7 tiles | Fixed |
| Module slots | 4 | 0 to 8 |
| Crafting speed | 4× | 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 / 12 |
| Base productivity | +50% | 0% to 200% |
| Energy usage | 1000 kW | |
| Pollution | -1/min |
How do I change the settings?
All settings are startup settings. Go to Settings → Mod Settings → Startup tab, find "Biochemical Refinery" and adjust:
- Module slots — number of module slots (0 to 8)
- Crafting speed — crafting speed multiplier (4 to 12 in steps of 2)
- Base productivity (%) — built-in productivity bonus (0% to 200%)
- energy usage (kW) — energy usage
- Allow building on space platforms — Space Exploration compatibility
Changing startup settings requires a game restart.
What fluid connections does it have?
- 2+2 input/outputs on the east and west sides
- 3 outputs on the south side
This layout supports complex recipes like advanced oil processing that require multiple fluid outputs.
Is it compatible with Space Exploration?
Yes. This mod has the "Allow building on space platforms" setting for full SE compatibility.
Productivity in space: SE normally disables productivity modules and base productivity for all buildings in space (except labs and miners). The Biochemical Refinery overrides this — when SE creates the "-spaced" clone of our building, our data-final-fixes automatically restores productivity in allowed_effects and the base productivity bonus. This means you can use productivity modules and keep the base productivity bonus on space platforms.
Note: This works because our mod loads after SE (via optional dependency). If for any reason the fix doesn't apply, check the Factorio log for [Biochemical Refinery] messages.
Is it compatible with other mods?
The mod inherits crafting categories from the base oil refinery at load time. Additionally, it re-syncs all categories in data-final-fixes, so any categories added by other mods (such as Space Age adding new chemistry recipes) are automatically picked up. If a mod adds a recipe to the refinery, the Biochemical Refinery should be able to craft it.
Does it work in multiplayer?
Yes. All configuration is done through startup settings, which are synchronized across all players.
Does quality affect this building?
Yes. Higher-quality versions receive:
- Increased crafting speed (via engine's crafting_machine_speed_multiplier)
- More HP (automatic by engine)
Module slots do not scale with quality — they stay exactly as configured in settings.
What are the side fluid connections?
There are two east/west input/output fluid connections on either side, allowing for easy input of fluids like the electromagnetic plant. They alternate, like the thruster.
Why is the building expensive?
Because it's very powerful! 50% prod and 4 crafting speed and 4 modules default? that's crazy!
Credits
Original Code by MikdadAgasiev, used under MIT license.
Graphics assets by Hurricane046, used under CC BY license.