Seeing that grapefruit were falling off the trees in her hometown, Tu Anh and her friends came up with the idea of making compressed charcoal pellets from the peels to start a business, meeting European export standards.
With their project "Technology for extracting essential oils and charcoal pellets from orange and grapefruit peels," implemented since October 2023, the ZestAroma team made it into the top 50 out of 500 projects participating in the "Student Startup" competition 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) from Hanoi University of Industry.
"The project has only been underway for about 5 months, but we've already received many unexpected results and learned valuable lessons," Tú Anh said.
The ZestAroma team discussed product packaging with their instructors on February 20th. Photo: Ngo Huy
Tú Anh recounted that around October 2023, when Hanoi University of Industry announced the university-level Student Startup Idea Competition to select a national team, Tú Anh and her group of friends quickly decided they "had to participate".
During a visit home to Chuong My district, Hanoi, an area known for its abundant grapefruit orchards, Tu Anh noticed that farmers were throwing away a lot of fallen grapefruit, a wasteful practice. This wasn't just happening in Tu Anh's hometown; across the country, the total area of citrus fruit trees is approximately 210,000 hectares, primarily oranges and grapefruits. The abundant supply of orange and grapefruit peels, coupled with the lack of processing and recycling, deeply concerned the group.
Sharing their ideas with the teachers, the group came up with the idea of extracting essential oils from orange and grapefruit peels, and then utilizing the leftover pulp to create another product.
"Initially, we intended to make bio-fertilizer. But then, seeing that the market already had many such products, we had to discuss and find a newer product that was more in demand," Tú Anh said, acknowledging that this period was difficult and led to many debates within the group.
Then, the group noticed information about the energy crisis in Europe. People were using unprocessed fuel products, including compressed charcoal briquettes, which were harmful to health and the environment. In Vietnam, the market offered compressed charcoal made from sawdust and coconut shells, but they burned for a short time. At this point, the idea of smokeless compressed charcoal briquettes made from orange and grapefruit peels was born.
Essential oils and smokeless charcoal made from orange and grapefruit peels by the ZestAroma group. Photo: HaUI
Thùy Trang was the lead researcher. Under the guidance of Dr. Nguyen Minh Viet, a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Technology, the fourth-year student conducted research and numerous experiments over two months to produce the desired product.
The page states that this compressed charcoal has the advantage of being easier to burn than other smokeless charcoal on the market thanks to the excess essential oils in orange and grapefruit peels. The charcoal also burns longer, for about 3-5 hours. The calorific value reaches over 6,900 kcal/kg, equivalent to coal. The group's product minimizes CO2 emissions and is environmentally friendly.
Samples of smokeless compressed charcoal have been sent to several businesses and the Institute of Building Materials under the Ministry of Construction . Test results show that the samples meet standards, including those for export to the European market.
As a research support lecturer, Dr. Viet assessed the group's product as feasible, helping farmers develop their economy, enhance the value of Vietnamese oranges and pomelos, 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 praised their proactiveness and dedication to the project. "There were days when I received calls at 11 PM. The students also proactively asked to connect with external mentors to get feedback and exchange ideas," Mr. Viet said.
Dr. Do Thi Ngoc Lan, a lecturer in the Business Management Faculty and a consultant on startups and new business models at the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said that the group had received feedback and suggestions from experts from the Foreign Trade University, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
"Experts shared that extracting essential oils or making charcoal pellets are things many people have already done. The difference is that the students are making these two products from the same raw material. This is highly appreciated," Ms. Lan informed, adding that this is why several businesses have agreed to partner with and support the group.
The product is currently undergoing testing and continuous improvement. The team has not yet disclosed the price.
Hieu Ngan (left) and Thuy Trang in a product introduction video. Video: Provided by the subjects.
The group of students hopes their product will reach the finals of the SV Startup competition, and also take the project to another competition abroad.
"What we learned through the competitions helped us mature and gain more useful knowledge," said Van Anh, a member of the group.
For me, the experiences of meeting with experts, creating financial and marketing plans myself, learning how to build a brand, determine pricing, calculate costs, etc., are "useful tools for my future career."
"We are very serious about this project and hope to bring the product to market as soon as possible," Van Anh said.
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