What to know
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Thermal Banks convert Originium Ore or batteries into Power, and they keep generating as long as they’re fed and connected to your grid.
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Switching from raw Originium Ore to batteries improves Originium-to-Power efficiency and stabilizes your factory’s power output.
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The Thermal Bank’s fuel values scale sharply, topping out at 1100 Power per HC Valley Battery every 40 seconds.
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You’ll get the best stability when your belts/splitters keep multiple Thermal Banks fed evenly, avoiding “one bank full, one bank starving” behavior.
In Arknights: Endfield, power is the constraint you feel in every factory expansion: one more production chain usually means one more round of power upgrades. Below is a practical progression of four battery builds—from your first “just get it running” setup to a bulky but high-end 1100 Power cycle—so you can choose what fits your current tech and space.
| Build tier | Target output | What it’s for | Core idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build 1 | 200 Power (early) | First stable Thermal Bank setup | Feed multiple Thermal Banks from one ore line using splitters |
| Build 2 | 660 Power (early–mid) | Your first “real” automated battery line | Craft batteries in a Packaging Unit, route most to Thermal Banks, store extras |
| Build 3 | 840 Power (mid) | Strong power plus better overflow value | Similar to Build 2, but tuned for steadier Thermal Bank feeding and more surplus storage |
| Build 4 | 1100 Power (late) | High-end battery fueling | HC Valley Battery tier feeding a Thermal Bank (1100 Power / 40s) |
Thermal Bank numbers that matter
Thermal Banks use fixed fuel cycles, so planning your production lines around those timers helps you avoid brownouts.
| Fuel type | Cycle time | Power generated per cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Originium Ore | 8s | 50 Power |
| LC Valley Battery | 40s | 220 Power |
| SC Valley Battery | 40s | 420 Power |
| HC Valley Battery | 40s | 1100 Power |
| LC Wuling Battery | 40s | 1600 Power |
How to build 1: 200 Power starter Thermal Bank line
This is the simplest “right after you unlock Thermal Banks” build: you’re still burning raw ore, but you’re feeding banks in a way that ramps up smoothly.
Step 1: Place your Thermal Banks and connect power
Set down your Thermal Banks in a compact cluster and ensure they’re connected to your power grid so the generated power actually counts.
Step 2: Feed Originium Ore directly
If you’re powering with Originium Ore, you can directly connect a PAC output port line that outputs Originium Ore into your Thermal Bank input.
Step 3: Use splitters to distribute one line across multiple banks
Use a splitter layout that keeps upstream banks from hogging all fuel; the goal is for each bank to receive enough ore to keep cycling continuously.
Step 4: Stabilize by filling before scaling
If you notice ramp-up issues (some banks running while others idle), pre-filling the farthest banks helps the whole chain reach steady state faster.
How to build 2: 660 Power early–mid automated battery line
This is the point where your power setup starts feeling “factory-grade”: you craft batteries on-site and feed them straight into Thermal Banks.
Step 1: Build a battery production line
When you’re no longer feeding Thermal Banks with raw ore, you’ll need a battery production line that automatically crafts batteries for your Thermal Banks.
Step 2: Use a Packaging Unit as the core
Once you unlock Packaging Units, you can swap over to battery-based fueling instead of burning raw Originium Ore.
Step 3: Route crafted batteries to multiple Thermal Banks
Run belt outputs from your battery line into your Thermal Banks; you can scale by adding more banks, but only if your battery crafting throughput supports it.
Step 4: Add storage for overflow
If your line sometimes produces more than your Thermal Banks consume, route the excess into storage so it doesn’t clog your belts and stall production.
How to build 3: 840 Power midgame “steady feed + more overflow”
This is a refinement of the previous approach: same concept, but you prioritize keeping Thermal Banks consistently fed while still capturing extra batteries.
Step 1: Keep your inputs consistent
Power fluctuations happen when your fuel production can’t keep up with your number of Thermal Banks, so only expand banks when you can feed them continuously.
Step 2: Favor layouts that prevent starvation
Load-balanced feeds keep all Thermal Banks working at the same time (no ramp-up), but they take more space than a manifold.
Step 3: Store excess without choking the main line
Your belts should always prioritize Thermal Bank fueling first, then divert overflow into storage; this prevents a “full stash” from backing up your entire power line.
How to build 4: 1100 Power HC Valley Battery setup
This tier is about enabling the HC Valley Battery loop and feeding it into Thermal Banks for a big jump in available power per cycle.
Step 1: Target HC Valley Battery as your fuel tier
HC Valley Battery is a Thermal Bank fuel that outputs 1100 Power every 40 seconds.
Step 2: Build for space, not just throughput
Higher-tier battery chains tend to sprawl because you’re feeding more intermediate processing, so plan a dedicated “power district” in your base where belts won’t conflict with other production.
Step 3: Feed the Thermal Bank continuously
A Thermal Bank continuously provides power to your AICs as long as it has access to ore or batteries, so consistency beats peak output.
Step 4: Scale banks only after confirming fuel stability
More Thermal Banks increase your total power grid output, but only if your fuel logistics can support them without starving.
If you’re early, feeding Thermal Banks with Ore plus smart splitting is enough to stabilize your grid. Once you unlock battery automation, shifting to batteries—and eventually HC Valley Batteries for 1100 Power cycles—gives you the headroom to expand without constant rebuilds.
