British cryogenics start-up firm set to make international breakthrough
British start-up, Cryomation Limited, (www.cryomation.co.uk) has signed a joint initiative agreement with leading Netherlands funeral service group, Yarden BV, (www.yarden.nl) that brings an innovative cryogenics-based alternative to traditional cremations a step closer to commercial reality.
Yarden operates 41 funeral centres and 22 crematoria, carrying out over 25,000 cremations a year, and also has 1 million policyholder customers, making it the largest such firm in the Netherlands.
Peter van Wageningen, chief executive of Yarden, says: “My company wants to conduct a detailed review of the new process developed by Cryomation, with the aim of offering environmentally-friendly alternatives to people who would prefer not to be buried and who feel uncomfortable with the idea of cremation.”
Cryomation, based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, has developed an award-winning alternative process to cremation that involves freezing the body using liquid nitrogen at -196 ºC until brittle, before returning the remains as a completely safe, sterile powder. Compared to traditional cremations, the fully automated Cryomation process reduces the CO2 footprint by up to 80% and eliminates poisonous mercury emissions altogether. The company has completed research, development and prototyping, and is now seeking its next round of funding to go into full production.
In the near future, it is hoped that families will be able to have their ‘Cryomated’ remains either buried, sustainably returning remains into the soil within 6-12 months, or choose an accelerated composting option - after which the remains are returned to the family in an urn for scattering or growing purposes - efficiently completing the ecological cycle of life.
“This is very positive news for the Cryomation team and its research partners Hosokawa Micron BV, Air Products plc and the University of Hertfordshire,” says Cryomation business development director, Richard Maclean. “Working with Yarden will help us accelerate the commercial deployment of Cryomation and gain specialist industry support in key areas such as social acceptance, market positioning and legislative approval for the Dutch market. We aim to replicate this and introduce the Cryomation process across multiple international markets, including Britain, in the future.”