How To Unlock The Bioreactor In Subnautica 2

Do you want to unlock the Bioreactor in Subnautica 2? This massive fixture creates energy for your base, and all you need to do is put a few fibers and fuels to keep it running. That said, you still need to scan a bunch of blueprints for it.

Subnautica 2 base guide – The Bioreactor

The Subnautica 2 Bioreactor can only be unlocked upon scanning three fragments. Several are scattered in the Shallows region, and we’ve listed a few that we’ve found in our playthrough. As usual, we encourage you to read our mini-walkthrough, since it gives you an idea as to where you ought to go next for the campaign.

Bioreactor fragment #1

You’re going to stumble upon this Bioreactor fragment sooner or later. That’s because it’s in the area that gets a marker for the Chap blackbox signal (assuming you’re doing the tasks given by the NOA Terminal).

The location is roughly 400 meters southeast from the Lifepod. As you approach, you’ll see a Giant Coral Crab and several rock pillars. Dive down the tunnel to discover a Colonist Bunker, which happens to have a scannable Bioreactor and a Biobed upgrade.

Bioreactor fragment #2

This Subnautica 2 Bioreactor fragment is around 370 southwest from the Lifepod. If you were just at location #1, you can skirt around the cliffside edge until you see a crashed ship. Just past that, there’s more wreckage surrounded by a bunch of Surge Jellies.

Bioreactor fragment #3

There’s a Bioreactor fragment in a facility known as the Old Habitat, which is 400 meters north-northeast from the Lifepod. Enter the facility via the hatch at the back. In the next chamber, make a right just past the scuba tank. You should then see a ruined Bioreactor piece to your left.

Bioreactor fragment #4

Speaking of the Old Habitat, there’s an area in the Shallows that has dozens of BFJs, which we’ve taken to calling Big Friggin’ Jellies. There’s another scannable fragment in this place. It’s approximately 450 meters north-northeast of the Lifepod. It’s also 150 meters east-northeast from the Old Habitat if you’ve already visited that facility.

Bioreactor fragment #5

There’s a Subnautica 2 Bioreactor fragment that’s around 300 meters east-northeast from the Lifepod. It’s fairly close to a crashed Alterra ship–i.e. Cicada Wreck (Lander Garage). Just watch out for the annoying Hammerheads that want to smash into you.

Bioreactor fragment #6

The Cicada Wreck (Lander Garage) that we mentioned–i.e. roughly 380 meters east-northeast from the Lifepod–actually has another fragment. Swim inside the hold to spot it right next to a Tadpole fragment.

Bioreactor fragment #7

Last but not least, you can scan another Bioreactor fragment approximately 400 meters east-northeast from the Lifepod, or just a short distance away from locations #5 and #6. It’s inside a crate next to an orange coral growth. This area is also fairly close to the border of Zezuran Desert, where the temperature begins to rise.

Bioreactor crafting materials and usage

Once you’ve unlocked the Bioreactor in Subnautica 2, it’s time to construct it in your base. Here’s what you need to know:

• Unlike other energy-related fixtures, the Bioreactor is in the Interior Facilities tab of the Habitat Builder. It costs 2x Titanium Ingot and 2x Copper Ingot, which means you need to manufacture these materials via the Processor.
• The Bioreactor can use various types of biodegradable resources, fibers, and fuels. These include alien fish and alien plants (even harvested stuff like Medical Gel Sacs). The resource will then get consumed over time.
• By default, Normal mode generates only +10 energy per second. However, if you switch it to Overdrive mode, the Bioreactor will generate +20 energy per second. That said, doing this will cause the selected materials to get used up faster.

That does it for our guide on how to unlock the Bioreactor in Subnautica 2. If you’re curious about other energy generating structures for your base, you can take a look at our guides for the Hydroelectric Turbine and Thermal Plant. Oh, and if you need more plants and biofuel, we suggest acquiring the Growbed so you can harvest alien plants.