Guide to Fixing the Power Plant and Accessing the Observatory in Subnautica 2

If you’re looking to power up the Power Plant in Subnautica 2, you’ve probably figured out that you need to energize the area to access the Observatory, that towering structure near the Alien Ruins. This is a key story objective in early access, and completing it wraps up the current narrative while hinting at future content and updates.

Repairing the Power Plant is quite resource-heavy and requires many upgrades found in the region, making it the pinnacle of your journey through the alien ocean so far.

To get into the Observatory, you must first fix the Alien Power Plant, the massive structure looming over the Angel Comb in the Alien Ruins. This process involves several stages, so let’s break it down. You’ll need the Tadpole Depth module to proceed.

Start by clearing the Angel Comb in the Alien Ruins, located to the east of the Research Base if you follow the large purple tube. All the necessary details are in the linked guide, including videos that show the locations of each viral bloom. To eliminate these blooms, you’ll need to unlock the Feedback Resonator upgrade for your Sonic Resonator, which allows you to destroy the flowers from a distance before they can close up.

Once the comb is cleared, obtain the Axum Vision Adaptation and head into the alien control room built into the crater wall overlooking the Angel Comb. Interact with the console at the center by the window to complete the first stage of the Power Plant repair.

Next, you’ll need to fix the giant Alien Turbine above the Angel Comb. Ascend directly onto the large circular structure and navigate to the east side, where you’ll find some colony crates and a blue light above a broken turbine that you can scan.

Scanning the turbine reveals it was sabotaged (likely by the colonists), and you’ll need a significant amount of materials to repair it, specifically:

This is a hefty list of resources, but to simplify, here’s what you’ll need for the Processor to create the ingots:

The 60x titanium might seem overwhelming, but this includes 10 Titanium Ingots and an additional 10 for crafting the Mangalloy. The resource you’ll find most challenging to gather is Troilite—I recommend using a Metal Farm to produce some, and always keep at least one Troilite for the farm, as it appears to be quite scarce.

Once you’ve gathered everything, return to the turbine, either using the Tadpole Haul Chassis or by clearing 30 slots in your inventory. Use your Habitat Builder to construct the turbine like any other facility. Then, head to the control room directly across from the turbine and interact with each alien console inside, adjusting the dials and sliders until they turn green, as shown in the video, before activating the central console to power up the Power Plant.

With the area now energized, the door to the Observatory (the tower near the Alien Ruins Research Base) will be open. If you drive around to the west side of the tower, opposite the Alien Ruins, you’ll find a door to enter and a lever to pull. I won’t spoil what happens next, but this marks the conclusion of the current story content in Subnautica 2’s early access.