Thanks for the answer. But back to steam turbines - is there any way to provide enough steam for them except for putting them right next to a tank/generator?
This is a common problem for all of us GT 5 players. If you want to keep using GT Steam Turbines, a tried-and-true way is to build at least a
3-high RC tank (iron is fine) put RC tank valves on the bottom, and the GT Steam Turbines flush against the bottom. The purpose of the RC tank is less a steam buffer and more of a "high steam throughput" device.
Also, you may have noticed the Turbo Steam Turbine is less efficient than the smaller steam turbines. The most efficient way to use GT Steam Turbines is to spam (build lots of) the
Basic Steam Turbines (32v) and join their power together via GT Transformers to up-transform the power. For long-distance power runs, you can put an IC2 transformer on the GT transformer and then use lossless IC2 cable. You will have to IC2/GT transform back at the receiving end(s).
However, the most efficient way to turn steam into EU in this pack seems to be the
RC Steam Turbines. They are about twice as efficient as the GT Basic Steam Turbine and they are easier to use. The major downside early-game is they require a *lot* of steel to make and you have to replace the rotor after a long time. The rotor takes a lot of steel to make.
The rotor's lifetime is roughly equal to the total amount of EU it produces. So, if you don't keep your EU demand high and run the turbine at 100%, it will last a long time. But, if you run it at 100% 24/7, the rotor will last maybe a few days in RL.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend watching
this excellent video by UNG_God. He covers GT steam generation and the RC vs. GT Steam Turbine math. And,
here is a link to his sneaky peaks, which have a *lot* of very useful GT 5 info.