In this section, we’ll be looking at the Steam Shipyard and how to produce Steam Ships in Anno 1800. To begin, the Steam Shipyard is an advanced building that unlocks powerful late‑game ships. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how it works and what you need to get it running efficiently.
To build
- Credits -$90000
- Timber 50
- Bricks 100
- Steel Beams 80
- Windows 75
- Reinforced Concrete 75
Details
- Unlocks at 500 Engineers
- Area 7×17
- Region – Old World
- Maintenance -$400
- Workforce 200 Engineers
Description
This is the Steam Shipyard, and it builds Steam Ships in Anno 1800. Once you reach the Engineer level, it becomes a key structure because it lets you construct the next tier of ships. Compared to Sailing Ships, Steam Ships move faster, hit harder, and offer far more specialised roles, giving your navy and logistics a major upgrade.
As a result, Steam Ships often become the backbone of your empire. They provide stronger naval power and handle late‑game transport needs much more efficiently.
However, it’s important to remember that the Steam Shipyard requires Electricity to operate, so make sure it is connected to a Power Plant before you begin construction.
What ships can you get
In this section, we’ll look at the Steam Ships that become available at this level. To start, all of the ships in this section come from the vanilla version of Anno 1800, so you can build them without any DLC. From here, let’s take a closer look at the ships you can construct once the Steam Shipyard is unlocked.
Cargo Ship
This is the Cargo Ship, and it unlocks at 500 Engineers. To begin with, it has the largest cargo capacity of any standard ship in the game. It moves quickly, stays reliable, and ignores the wind entirely, so it handles high volume trade routes with ease.
In addition, Cargo Ships are excellent for Expeditions because they offer 8 total slots—6 cargo slots and 2 item slots. As a result, you can bring multiple Specialists along while still carrying plenty of cargo for extra bonuses.
Battle cruiser
This is the Battle Cruiser, and it unlocks at 500 Engineers. To begin with, it is the strongest general purpose warship in Anno 1800. It combines high speed, strong armour, and powerful long range guns, giving it exceptional performance in almost every combat situation.
Because of this, the Battle Cruiser becomes the backbone of any late game navy. It excels in fleet battles, pirate suppression, island sieges, and escort missions, making it one of the most versatile and reliable warships you can build.
Monitor
This is the Monitor, and it unlocks at one Investor. To begin with, it is an excellent addition to your naval forces in Anno 1800. The Monitor acts as a heavy cannon platform, offering strong armour and high damage output.
Because of this, it is ideal for sieging islands and destroying pirate bases, where raw firepower matters most. However, it is slower than the Battle Cruiser, even though it delivers a more powerful punch.
Overall, the Monitor is a specialised warship that shines whenever you need heavy, focused damage.
Flamethrower Monitor
This is the Flamethrower Monitor, and it unlocks at 500 Engineers. To begin with, it is a powerful addition to your navy, using fire to disable and destroy enemy ships at close range. The ship’s flamethrower has a very short range, so it must get close to its target, but the attack is continuous, making it one of the most destructive close quarters naval units in the game.
Because of this, the Flamethrower Monitor tears through wooden hulled ships, often burning them down almost instantly. However, steel hulled ships from the Steam Shipyard shrug off much more damage, so the Flamethrower Monitor struggles to bring them down quickly.
Oil Tanker
This is the Oil Tanker, and it unlocks at 500 Engineers. From the moment you build it, the Oil Tanker takes on the crucial job of moving Oil between your islands, strengthening your entire logistics network. As you advance into the Electricity stage, the Oil Tanker becomes even more important, because many islands depend on imported Oil to keep their Power Plants running.
With this in mind, the Oil Tanker plays a crucial role in maintaining steady Electricity production across your empire.
The Workforce requirements
When working with the Steam Shipyard, it’s important to remember that it requires a large workforce. To start, the Steam Shipyard needs 200 Engineers to operate at 100% efficiency. However, you only need this workforce while ships are being built.
Because of this, it can be beneficial to temporarily shut down other Engineer level buildings during ship construction. This frees up the workforce you need without disrupting your overall production chain.