A team of students from the UGM Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM), participating in the Student Creativity Program in Entrepreneurship (PKM-K), has developed eco-friendly cement from shell waste.
The product, named INNOCEM (Innovatively Efficient Instant Cement), was created by Vidhyazputri Belva Aqila, a 2023 undergraduate Accounting student, in collaboration with her three colleagues: Abla Salsabila (Civil Engineering 2022), Aurellia Zaitun Candraningrum (Civil Engineering 2022), and Maureen Arsa Sanda Cantika (Geographic Information Systems 2022).
Aqila explained that the development of INNOCEM stemmed from their concern that buildings account for around 37% of carbon emissions. This is largely due to the use of cement made from limestone, a process that is not environmentally friendly.
“There is currently a strong movement toward net zero emissions, and we hope that through this product innovation, we can contribute to that movement,” she stated on Friday (Oct. 11) at FEB UGM.
The INNOCEM product aims to support the creation of sustainable green construction in Indonesia while addressing environmental issues by processing unused shell waste.
Abla Salsabila added that shell waste was chosen as the raw material for the cement because it contains potassium oxide, which is similar to limestone. According to several studies, shells have a high potassium oxide content.
“Currently, shell waste is abundant but largely unused, piling up as trash. Meanwhile, the potassium oxide content in shells is high enough to be a potential substitute for limestone in cement production,” she explained.
The INNOCEM product is now marketed online through various e-commerce platforms and the official Innocem website. This innovation represents a breakthrough in supporting eco-friendly green construction and offers a solution to reducing shell waste.
Report by: Orie Priscylla Mapeda Lumalan
Author: FEB UGM/Kurnia Ekatiningrum
Editor: Gusti Grehenson