Using the Matter Upgrader and Infinite EMC Consumables
The 
Matter Upgrader and infinite utility items in Project Expansion eliminate the tedium of dismantling alchemical machinery and managing expendable survival resources. The upgrader allows players to advance collectors and power flowers in-place using personal EMC, while infinite items draw directly from your transmutation bank to provide endless fuel and food.
Crafting and Operating the Matter Upgrader
In standard alchemy, upgrading an energy collector or power flower to a higher tier requires breaking the block, bringing it to a crafting table, and placing it back down. The Matter Upgrader bypasses this entirely by applying upgrades directly in the world.
Crafting Recipe
Assemble the upgrader on a crafting bench using foundational expansion components:
- Top row: One
Basic EMC Link [MK 1] on the left, one 
Basic Collector [MK 1] in the center, and one Basic EMC Link [MK 1] on the right. - Middle row: One
Basic Power Flower [MK 1] on the left, one lime dye in the center, and one 
Basic Relay [MK 1] on the right. - Bottom row: One Basic EMC Link [MK 1] on the left, one piece of dark matter in the center, and one Basic EMC Link [MK 1] on the right.
Operational Mechanics
To upgrade any collector, relay, or power flower placed in your world, right-click the target machine while holding the Matter Upgrader. Two prerequisites must be satisfied:
- Knowledge requirement: You must have already learned the target next-tier block in your transmutation tablet.
- EMC requirement: Your personal EMC pool must contain sufficient energy to pay the exact difference in cost between the existing machine tier and the upgraded tier.
When both conditions are met, the machine instantly shifts to the next tier without dropping its contents or interrupting active energy generation.
Crafting Infinite EMC Consumables
Project Expansion introduces perpetual survival tools that never deplete, consuming an equivalent quantity of EMC from your personal reserves whenever used.
Infinite Fuel
The 
Infinite Fuel item acts as a permanent burn source in furnaces, generators, and machines requiring solid fuel.
- Crafting recipe: Place eight pieces of coal surrounding a single transmutation tablet in the crafting table.
- Function: When placed inside a furnace fuel slot, the item is not consumed. Instead, fuel energy is continuously supplied directly from your personal EMC balance.
Infinite Steak
The 
Infinite Steak provides endless nutritional sustenance without carrying stacks of food.
- Crafting recipe: Place eight cooked steaks surrounding a single transmutation tablet in the crafting grid.
- Function: Eating the steak restores hunger and saturation instantly, deducting the EMC cost of the meal from your transmutation account while leaving the item intact in your hand.