Ipswich Business Wins £40,000 Climate Change Innovation Prize

2010-02-18 12:48:29

An Ipswich based business with an innovative idea for tackling climate change last night won an award of £40,000 from Shell Springboard, a programme designed to promote the growth of the low carbon economy in the UK.

Cryomation received the financial boost for its greener alternative cremation method.

Traditional cremations are a major contributor to global CO₂ emissions & toxins.  Recognising this, Cryomation has devised a method of cremation where instead of being burned in an incinerator and then ground to ash in a cremulator, the body is frozen in its coffin using liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees C. This makes the body very brittle allowing them to fragment the body to a powder. This can then be returned in the normal way to the family for either burial or in an urn.  It is greener than a green burial and it’s cleaner than a traditional cremation, generating a 75% reduction in CO₂ and ‘zero’ mercury emissions.

Richard Maclean from Cryomation with his Cryomation technology

The Shell Springboard programme, which has awarded over £1.3 million to 35 UK small businesses since it launched in 2005, this year celebrates its fifth anniversary.  The programme encourages a positive business response to the challenge of climate change by providing a no-strings financial boost to ideas for innovative products and services that could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Richard Maclean from Cryomation Ltd said: “We really believe our product can make a difference in the fight against climate change and it’s incredibly rewarding that such a well established programme as Shell Springboard has also recognised its potential. The funding and recognition we received tonight will allow us to press ahead with our ambitions for Cryomation and the potential environmental benefits of this cremation alternative.”

L to R: Richard Maclean (Cryomation), Duncan Macleod (Shell) & Mike Morris-Watson (Cryomation)

Duncan Macleod, Vice President of Future Fuels, Shell UK said: “Over the last five years, Shell Springboard has given £1.3 million to thirty small businesses like Cryomation with innovative ideas for climate change. It’s fantastic to see that the UK’s entrepreneurs continue to respond to the challenge of climate change and Shell is very happy to continue to provide some real support. We wish Richard and his team every success in moving forwards.”

Cryomation competed against eight businesses from across the UK on 17 February 2010 in Cambridge and will now compete to be named as the overall UK winner in London on the 2nd March.

Shiply.com and Trendform from London and Brighton also received awards of £40,000.