Crop residue in.
Clean hydrogen out.
पराली कचरा नहीं, ऊर्जा है।
Kalon Energy uses a biological process to turn paddy straw and other farm waste into clean hydrogen — for cleaner air, stronger farming communities and a self-reliant India.
Every autumn, India burns its energy.
After harvest, farmers have only a few weeks to clear their fields, so millions of tonnes of straw are set on fire. The smoke reaches cities across North India and damages the soil it was meant to protect.
That straw is full of energy. Kalon Energy’s work is to capture it — as biohydrogen, one of the cleanest fuels there is.
Read our storyWhy biohydrogen?
- Made from waste — uses residue that is otherwise burnt.
- A biological process — microbes do the work, not electricity-hungry water splitting.
- Two problems, one solution — clean energy and agricultural waste management together.
- Clean at the point of use — hydrogen produces only water when used as fuel.
From straw to hydrogen in six steps
Tap any step to see what happens inside the process.
Collecting crop residue
Paddy straw, wheat straw and other agricultural waste are gathered after harvest — material that would otherwise be burnt in the field.
81% of paddy straw is burnt in fields in India (ICAR)Opening up the fibre
Straw is cleaned and size-reduced, then pre-treated to loosen its tough lignin layer so the cellulose inside can be reached. This step decides how much of the residue can later become hydrogen.
Lignocellulose: cellulose + hemicellulose + ligninReleasing natural sugars
Cellulose and hemicellulose are broken down into simple sugars. These sugars are the food for the microbes in the next step.
Plant fibre → fermentable sugarsMicrobes make hydrogen
In a sealed, oxygen-free bioreactor, hydrogen-producing bacteria digest the sugars at moderate temperatures, releasing hydrogen gas. It is called “dark” fermentation because no light is needed.
A biological process — no water-splitting electricitySeparating clean hydrogen
The gas from the reactor is a mix, mainly hydrogen and carbon dioxide. It is cleaned and dried to separate usable hydrogen.
Biogas mixture → purified H₂Using hydrogen and by-products
Hydrogen can serve as a clean fuel for industry, power and mobility. The remaining liquid and solids can be treated further, for example for biogas or as organic soil input, so little is wasted.
Hydrogen from biomass is recognised under India’s Green Hydrogen StandardWhat does burning really cost?
Impact calculator
See what is released into the air when crop residue is burnt — and what using it for energy instead could prevent.
Assumes about 2.5 tonnes of paddy straw per acre. Emission factors per tonne of straw burnt: 1,460 kg CO₂, 60 kg CO, 3 kg particulate matter, 199 kg ash (ICAR).
There is a place for you in this revolution
Whoever you are, here is where to start.
I’m a farmer
Learn why stubble is valuable, and how farmers and FPOs can work with us. Available in Hindi.
For farmers →I want to learn
Courses on biohydrogen, biotechnology and crop residue management through Kalon Academy.
Kalon Academy →I represent an organisation
Industry, institutions, investors and government bodies interested in clean hydrogen.
Partner with us →I want to work here
Researchers, engineers, field associates and interns who want to build this future.
Careers →Be part of the clean hydrogen revolution.
Farmers, students, researchers, industry and investors — there is a place for you in this work.