In a cremation, flue gases must be purified from mercury and dust. In order for the filters not to burn up, the flue gases must be cooled down and it is in the process that the excess heat is generated. Now that Västanfors Västervåla parish is to build a brand new sports hall for Lindgårdsskolan, a major venture that will be completed in a year according to Fagersta Posten, you want to partially heat the hall with the excess heat.
- It is not the cremation itself that creates the heat, but we heat the oven with oil and so we take advantage of the residual heat that arises when we cool the flue gases, says Jonas Högberg, property manager.
Hear more in the clip about why the congregation recovers the excess heat and what reactions they received.
Most recover
According to the Swedish Cemetery and Crematorium Association, SKKF, more and more crematoria have started to recover excess heat in the last ten years. Two years ago they presented the study The future crematorium operations , where most of Sweden's approximately 60 crematoria stated that they recovered the excess heat - about thirty used it to heat their own premises, some twenty sent out the surplus on the district heating network. Only about ten stated that they did not recover, mainly because they lacked technical equipment for it.
- But I am absolutely convinced that those who do not use the surplus today will do so in the future when investing in new technology, says Jan Olov Andersson, CEO of SKKF.
Västerås hopes for future investments
Västmanland's second crematorium, in Västerås, uses part of the surplus heat to heat economy buildings at Hovdestalund's cemetery. In a major redevelopment planned in about five years, the crematorium hopes that investments will be made that will make better use of the surplus heat.