Gifted with the pleasant weather, Medellin is Colombia’s second-largest city named the City of Eternal Spring. Despite the warm temperatures, air quality is a problem that Medellin faces, like many other cities around the world.

“In Colombia, more than 1,000 tons of coals are consumed annually, and its combustion emits CO2. Air pollution affects not only us in Medellin but the Earth as a whole,” a group of students from Medellin said in chorus.

Joining forces for fresh air

Ana Garcia, Santiago, Juan, and Camilo are students from the public school Loyola for Science and Innovation of Medellin who recognize coal as the leading cause of air pollution. The four inspired students discovered ways to create an eco-friendly biofuel through the use of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Coffee ground becomes fuel

“Colombia is the third-largest producer of coffee in the world. Our idea was to create briquettes made of coffee residue,” said Ana. “Coffee dregs have excellent characteristics as biofuel, with the energy of 18 megajoules per kilogram while the coals’ average is around 18 to 25 megajoules.”

Named the “Ciscombustible” project, the students put extensive efforts into research and development, starting from background research and selecting materials for the briquette to prototype designing, development, and testing. The team even made a 3D device made of steel to shape the briquette in an ideal form. After many trials and errors, Ciscombustible created a coffee-based eco fuel.

Bettering the community

“According to our research, coals will continue to produce a majority of CO2 emissions worldwide. We believe our briquettes can alleviate the pollution by reducing around 10% of CO2,” said Juan. While offering a friendly alternative to the environment, the briquettes can also create a new source of income for Colombia’s coffee families.

When their idea was submitted to Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, the Ciscombustible project received their well-deserved win. The students were recognized for their problem-solving skills and STEM knowledge. Even after the big win, the members of Ciscombustible say they will stay motivated and drive themselves forward until the project is widely used.