A team of young, vibrant Omani students who teamed up to find solutions to create a sustainable and safe environment have developed Sakhma – a 100 per cent natural alternative to coal.

The students, who are currently pursuing degrees from the Shinas University of Technology and Applied Sciences, have created the natural product using wasted local raw materials with a high calorific value.

Characterised by its rapid ignition and absence of harmful gases, Sakhma could pose to be a benefit to the health of its users as much as it would the environment.

Speaking to Oman News Agency, Ahmed bin Amer Al-Badi, who is also a volunteer with a gas/stove company in Oman, explains the process of producing the compound.

As per Ahmed, the product goes through several stages of development, beginning with gathering the raw materials and transporting them to workshops, before distilling off any impurities.

The materials are then mixed, pressed, and brought into ovens before they enter packaging.

Ahmed states that the product targets camping enthusiasts and shops selling travel tools.

He adds: “The product is characterised by its thermal energy that is 20 per cent more than burning ordinary wood, and it is flammable without the use of chemicals, which meets the needs of the consumer and saves them effort.”

Al-Badi also indicates that the innovative product consists of (64 per cent) coffee residues, (25 per cent) sawdust, and (11 per cent) expired olive oil. Alternative materials can be used along with the coffee residues, such as date kernels, sea cactus residues and agricultural residues.

Challenges faced by the team during production included obtaining raw materials and the lack of a suitable place for production, as well as managing the time between working in the company and studying at the university, Al-Badi adds.

The team aspires to be the leading producer of sustainable and alternative charcoal products and to be the ‘consumer’s first choice’.

*This story was originally published by Oman News Agency