Civilian shipping Sorium Harvesters

[Hydrofoil (OP)]

Hi Guys

Just a quick query really im wondering what the Civillian shipping line sorium harvesters actually do, ive just had a new shipping line open up in one of my games and not long after they built a Sorium harvester which has moved to a Uranus which has a large amount of high access sorium. Im not sure how the process works do I get the sorium it brings back to earth or does the shipping company?

[Triato]

You can send empty tankers to take fuel from them, they probably charge you money.

[Prince of Space]

From the "Changes for v6.00" thread in the Mechanics forum:

Civilian Fuel Harvesters

Civilian Shipping Lines will build fuel harvesters in v5.70. These harvesters will (slowly) make their way to gas giants with Sorium and start harvesting. Unlike other civilian shipping, these fuel harvesters will appear as potential destinations when you select Task Groups on the F12 orders window, so you can order your fleets to refuel from them. Refuelling from civilian harvesters costs 1 wealth for each 10,000 litres of fuel.

Once a civilian fuel harvester is full, any excess fuel is sold to the private sector. This also generates tax revenue equal to 20% of the fuel price.

[xeryon]

In general the civilian harvesters are a good thing as long as they don't build too many.  v6+ Aurora places a considerably larger emphasis on fuel consumption.  You basically just got a 'free' fuel depot.  You pay a little for the fuel but nothing for the construction and you collect tax revenue from it.

If a shipping line goes gung-ho on harvesters you might need to thin the herd so they don't suck your sorium source dry though as civilian fuel is sold off and not stored.  But you can buy fuel from them and then transport it to your planetary stockpile yourself if you are desperate.