Minecraft Achievement Guide: Alternative Fuel

Minecraft players earn the "Alternative Fuel" achievement by powering a furnace with a dried kelp block for the first time.

The most common fuel source that players typically use to power a furnace in Minecraft is coal. However, players are also able to chose from a handful of other fuel source options.

One such option is using a dried kelp block, which actually has a burn duration that is 2.5 times greater than that of coal and charcoal. Luckily, obtaining a dried kelp block is not that difficult and it can be acquired rather quickly.

Obtaining this achievement should help players better understand that kelp can actually be quite useful, when converted into a dried kelp block.

This article breaks down how players can obtain the "Alternative Fuel" achievement in Minecraft.

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Minecraft Achievement Guide: Alternative Fuel

Minecraft players who want to obtain the "Alternative Fuel" achievement will first need to get their hands on a block of dried kelp. A dried kelp blocks can be made at a crafting table by combining nine pieces of dried kelp.

Players are able to obtain dried kelp by cooking pieces of regular kelp.

Kelp can be found in the various ocean biomes of Minecraft, except for frozen, deep-frozen, warm, and deep warm ocean variants.

Wandering traders also have the chance to sell kelp for three emeralds a piece.

A full guide on what kelp is in Minecraft and how to obtain it can be found here.

Once players have acquired some kelp through their chosen acquisition method, they can quickly convert it into dried kelp with a furnace and a fuel source.

The fuel source that is used to cook the kelp into dried kelp does not matter, and any appropriate material such as coal or charcoal can be used.

The crafting recipe for a dried kelp block in Minecraft. (Image via Minecraft)

Players will need to obtain at least nine pieces of dried kelp, as that is the number that is required to craft a single dried kelp block.

Once players have obtained a dried kelp block, all they will need to do is place the block into a furnace to use as a power source. Once this alternative fuel source is used to smelt or cook an item, players should receive the "Alternative Fuel" achievement.

Dried kelp blocks have a burning time of about 200 seconds and can be used to smelt around 20 different items. Since these blocks last long as a fuel source, they are the premier choice to use as the fuel source in an automated smelting farm.

Players should note that dried kelp blocks can be used to power furnaces, blast furnaces, and smokers.