5 female students make smokeless charcoal from orange and grapefruit peels

Seeing a lot of grapefruit falling in her hometown, Tu Anh and her friends came up with the idea of ​​making compressed charcoal from the peel to start a business, meeting European export standards.

With the project "Technology for extracting essential oils and compressed charcoal pellets from orange and grapefruit peels", implemented since October 2023, the ZestAroma group has entered the top 50 out of 500 projects participating in the "Students with startup ideas" contest - SV Startup organized by the Ministry of Education and Training this year.

The team members include Nguyen Tu Anh, Nguyen Van Anh, Hoang Hieu Ngan, Le Thi Phuong (Faculty of Business Administration) and Duong Thuy Trang (Faculty of Chemical Technology) of Hanoi University of Industry.

"The project has only been implemented for about 5 months, but we have received many unexpected results and lessons," said Tu Anh.

The ZestAroma team discusses product packaging with instructors on February 20. Photo: Ngo Huy

Tu Anh said that around October 2023, when Hanoi University of Industry announced a competition for students with school-level startup ideas to select a national team, Tu Anh and her group of friends quickly decided "to participate".

Once, when returning home to Chuong My district, Hanoi, where many grapefruits are grown, Tu Anh saw that many farmers' grapefruits had fallen and had to be thrown away wastefully. Not only in Tu Anh's hometown, but throughout the country, the total area of ​​citrus trees is about 210,000 hectares, mainly oranges and grapefruits. The source of orange and grapefruit peels is abundant but not processed or recycled, causing the group to worry.

Sharing with teachers, the group thought of extracting essential oils from orange and grapefruit peels, then using the leftover pulp to make another product.

"At first, we planned to make biofertilizer. But then we saw that there were many of these products on the market, so we had to discuss to find a newer product that the market needed more," Tu Anh said, admitting that this period was difficult and led to many arguments within the group.

Then, the group noticed information about the energy crisis in Europe. People were using combustion products, including untreated compressed charcoal, which was harmful to health and the environment. In Vietnam, the market had compressed charcoal made from sawdust and coconut shells but the burning time was short. At that time, the idea of ​​smokeless compressed charcoal made from orange and grapefruit peels was born.

Essential oil and smokeless charcoal products from orange and grapefruit peels by ZestAroma group. Photo: HaUI

Thuy Trang is the main researcher. Under the guidance of Dr. Nguyen Minh Viet, lecturer of the Faculty of Chemical Technology, the fourth-year female student researched and tested many times over the course of two months to produce the desired product.

Trang said that this compressed charcoal has the advantage of burning easier than other smokeless charcoal on the market thanks to the excess essential oils in orange and grapefruit peels. The charcoal also burns longer, about 3-5 hours. The combustion heat reaches over 6,900 kcal/kg, equivalent to coal. The group's product reduces CO2 emissions and is environmentally friendly.

Smokeless compressed coal samples have been sent to a number of businesses and the Institute of Construction Materials of the Ministry of Construction. Test results show that the samples meet standards, including export standards to the European market.

As a research support lecturer, Dr. Viet assessed the group's product as feasible, helping farmers develop their economy, increase the value of Vietnamese oranges and grapefruits, and build a green and sustainable economy. The product also meets 3 of the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Speaking about the students, Mr. Viet highly appreciated their initiative and dedication to the project. "There were days when I received calls at 11pm. The students also proactively asked to connect with outside mentors to give feedback and discuss," Mr. Viet said.

Dr. Do Thi Ngoc Lan, lecturer of the Faculty of Business Management, consultant on startups and new business models of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said that the group had heard sharing and comments from experts from the Foreign Trade University, Hanoi University of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

"Experts shared that many people have done extracting essential oils or making compressed charcoal pellets. The difference is that the students made these two products from the same source of raw materials. This is highly appreciated," Ms. Lan informed, saying that this is why some businesses agreed to accompany and support the group.

The product is in testing and continues to be improved. The team has not disclosed the price.

5 female students make compressed charcoal from orange and grapefruit peels to start a business

Hieu Ngan (left) and Thuy Trang in a product introduction video. Video: Character provided

The student group hopes to make it to the final round of the SV Startup competition and bring the project to another competition abroad.

"What we learn through competitions helps us grow up and gain more useful knowledge," said Van Anh, a group member.

For me, the experiences of meeting experts, making financial and marketing plans, learning how to build a brand, pricing, calculating costs... are "useful provisions for my future career".

"We are very serious about this project, hoping to bring the product to market as soon as possible," said Van Anh.

Duong Tam

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