Is there supposed to be water on Arig? I wouldn't expect much given the theme, and I can't find any within a reasonable distance of my starting area.

But without water I can't produce power to run a sifter. The sifter does have a steam output, and produces plenty of steam on average for a positive feedback loop, I suppose. But I can't find any way to make power to bootstrap the first sifter.

I realize maybe it's not intended to Any Planet Start on Arig? The text "starting from Arig" and the inclusion of "Any Planet Start" as an optional mod made me think it might be reasonable.

But after installing AAI Industry to get a burner turbine generator that doesn't need water, I then found I can't "void" the pure sand liquid until I have blue assemblers to barrel it. I think that one's possible by just harvesting a bunch of rocks to get the resources to do the red and green research, but that would be ridiculously tedious.

You are right! In the next update solar power and electric poles are unlocked before automation science when you start on Arig

Water is a major bottleneck in science production for the cargo pod research to the point of being boring. A boost to water production or some way to make it would be nice.