Energy & biochar
Energy and better soil, from what's left behind.
Cold Steppe builds modular plants that turn rice hulls, corn stover, and woody mass into dispatchable power, industrial heat, and rice-hull biochar that helps soil hold water. The first one is running in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
In short
Cold Steppe builds and operates modular plants sited near the biomass they run on. One controlled-pyrolysis process converts regional crop and wood waste - starting with 100% U.S. rice hulls - into power, heat, and biochar, from a single feedstock. Site 01 is operating in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
- Dispatchable power via heat-to-power (ORC), delivered where demand is
- Industrial heat for regional offtake
- Nourishing Burn rice-hull biochar, which helps ground hold water
- Less irrigation draw on a declining alluvial aquifer
Where do you fit?
Find your starting point.
Our platform
One feedstock. Three stackable outputs.
Feedstock
Regional agricultural waste - rice hulls, corn stover, woody mass - sourced to hyper-focused regional demand.
Conversion
Controlled high-temperature pyrolysis converts waste into a stable solid product plus recoverable energy and heat.
Outputs
Dispatchable power, industrial heat, and a biochar soil amendment that helps ground hold water - from a single process.
Our story
From the ground up.
How Cold Steppe turns what's left behind into power, heat, and biochar.
Operating reality, at a glance.
450,000+
Acres engaged
100%
U.S. rice-hull feedstock
6
Sites / 48 kilns by 2030(target)
Why it works
Infrastructure with agricultural roots.
Waste in, value out
Underused crop and wood residue becomes power, heat, and biochar.
Dispatchable energy
Heat-to-power via ORC turns process heat into exportable electricity.
Water resilience
Ground that holds more water needs less irrigation, which eases draw on the Grand Prairie's declining alluvial aquifer.
Better soil
Rice-hull biochar supports moisture and nutrient retention on working ground.
Modular & capital-efficient
A repeatable 4→8 kiln site model scales returns as it grows.
Operator-grade execution
Founded by Navy submariners - military discipline, nuclear-grade rigor.
Power, heat, or materials - tell us what you need.
We work with energy buyers, industrial partners, and investors. Producers and landowners are best served on nourishingburn.farm.