Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 828 - 57

Whether the industrial capacity of the Northern Territory can support the simultaneous construction of two floating city modules is a question that doesn’t need answering.

Even when Perfikot originally planned to build only one floating city module, it required boosting the industrial capacity of the Northern Territory first. It’s easy to imagine how doubling the projects would put immense pressure on the region’s industrial output.

Of course, after Perfikot implemented automated production models, her established automated industrial and mining sectors could already meet the minimum industrial demand for one floating city module’s construction.

This is why when Sanderion arrived with her team, they could see the initial formation of the floating city construction site, instead of an empty plot of land.

However, according to Perfikot and Sanderion’s calculations, to meet the requirements for building two floating city modules, the current industrial and mining capacity would still need to expand by at least twice its size to barely meet the construction needs.

"The main issue is the gap in steel and coal. We need to increase our annual steel production by at least 100,000 tons," Sanderion said regretfully, looking at their calculated results.

Clearly, she felt this gap was too challenging to bridge.

This is a staggering figure. It’s worth noting that before the industrial revolution, the entire Victor Empire’s steel output was only 17,000 tons.

It wasn’t until the steam engine became widespread and the Empire entered the steam era, kicking off the first industrial revolution, that steel production experienced a significant leap.

Yet, even so, 100,000 tons of steel is a highly daunting number.

Currently, the total steel production in the Northern Territory is around 230,000 tons. This is following Perfikot’s directive to expand the steel industry.

To continue expanding on this basis, at least 350,000 tons of steel are required annually to meet Perfikot’s demand for building two floating city modules.

Such a large deficit is not easily filled.

Not to mention, producing 100,000 tons of steel requires at least 200,000 tons of iron ore and 60,000 tons of coal, even with Perfikot’s adoption of new smelting techniques that allow more efficient iron ore processing and coal conservation.

"The Northern Territory has enough iron ore and coal reserves, but we need to establish at least two iron mines with an annual output of 100,000 tons and one coal mine of 100,000 tons raw coal production, along with a steel mill capable of processing 100,000 tons annually," Perfikot said, flipping through a map that meticulously detailed the mineral resources distribution across the Northern Territory.

Sanderion, curious, leaned in to look at the various resource points marked on the map, indicating proved reserves, and asked Perfikot: "So, are you planning to open new mines?"

This is indeed a possible solution. After all, if existing supply can’t meet demand, opening new mines to boost production is one way to resolve the issue.

Yet, this approach presents another challenge: time.

"Opening a new iron mine to achieve an annual output of 100,000 tons would take at least a year, not to mention the construction of a steel mill with the same output capacity would require at least a year just to build the necessary support facilities," Sanderion, no stranger to these matters, briefly listed the timeline needed for this round of expansion, expressing her skepticism.

However, Perfikot simply shook her head and said, "Why limit ourselves to a single iron mine or steel mill with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons? What if we lower the standard to ten iron mines and ten steel mills, each with an annual output of 10,000 tons?"

"That makes things considerably easier; it could likely be achieved in about three months," Sanderion recalculated and came to a somewhat optimistic conclusion.

But this solution presents another issue: "However, implementing this plan would mean exponentially increasing the construction of support facilities, particularly the rail infrastructure.

And you can’t ignore the problem of workforce. You’re not seriously considering using all your automatons as workers, are you?"

"No, of course not all automatons; their efficiency is too low, and their maintenance and wear are too great. I plan to use large robots," Perfikot replied, bringing out a blueprint that depicted a new design for a large mining robot.

It resembled a gigantic spider with massive metallic forelimbs for excavating ore, a large abdomen for loading minerals, and eight mechanical legs for movement.

It looked like a grotesque steel beast, but to alchemists like Sanderion and Perfikot, it embodied the beauty of industrial design.

"This robot looks impressive, but wouldn’t driving them require a lot of coal? And manufacturing them would need a substantial amount of steel, especially since you’ve also designed a mobile steel mill," Sanderion remarked, clicking her tongue at Perfikot’s accompanying designs.

She wasn’t deliberately nitpicking; Perfikot’s designs did require these resources to achieve the intended effect.

Perfikot understood why Sanderion said this. She nodded and pointed to several areas on the resource distribution map, saying, "These areas have rich iron ore resources underground, and large coal vein deposits are also nearby.

By setting up mobile blast furnaces at a few critical locations and using mining robots to extract ore, they can continuously supply the resources needed for building the floating city. I can even directly process crude steel into components," Perfikot marked several key nodes on the map, then drew a few lines, ultimately converging on Chernobyl.

Then, to Sanderion’s expected gaze, Perfikot connected Chernobyl with their current location.

"You’ve planned this all out?" Sanderion asked, looking at Perfikot with a mixture of inevitability and admiration.

"Not exactly. I just habitually plan everything out before putting it into action," Perfikot replied with a casual shrug. "After all, I’ve already begun construction, so I couldn’t possibly proceed without any preparation, right?"

"That’s just your style. So, what should I do? Go back to Chernobyl to oversee the production of another module, or stay here to supervise this one?" Sanderion guessed she could choose between the two construction sites.