Promession

Idea for cemetery for promated remains.

Promession is being hailed as a new ecologically friendly improvement on traditional internment as well as traditional cremation (‘wet cremation’).  The idea was conceived by Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, founder of Promessa.  

With promession the body is frozen to -196 degrees C by submerging it in liquid nitrogen; once frozen it becomes brittle and short vibrations are applied which, after freeze drying, reduce the body to an organic, hygienic powder which weighs around a third of the original body weight.

At this stage the powder has all of the water removed (65 - 70 %), and the metals within the body (such as mercury from dental fillings) are removed and recycled.

Not only is the resulting powder hygienic and organic, but there are no emissions of smoke or mercury to the air as there would be with cremation. The remains - called promains - are buried in an environmentally friendly coffin in a shallow grave, and within around six months to a year are absorbed back into the soil.  

The promains may be cremated if preferred, for religious or other reasons. Peter Mäsak of Promessa says: ‘This ‘dry cremation’ doesn't take any energy, it gives an energy payback of around 300kWh per cremation, in a very controlled burning process leaving no mercury and significantly reduced outlets of climate gases.’

Promession is not currently available as an option, but Promessa have several parties seriously looking into the possibility of becoming a promession provider and ordering equipment in 2012.