Ernie Kassoff, National Sales Manager, Facultatieve Technologies

A new retort introduced to the industry at the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) convention and expo may have the answer in the quest to reduce CO2 emissions generated by cremation.

The Facultatieve Technologies FT II cremation retort uses the body as fuel, to minimize the burning of natural gas in the process of cremation. Ernie Kassoff, National Sales Manager for Facultatieve Technologies, explains the process:

“To get correct combustion in the cremation process, you need three things: temperature, oxygen and fuel. If you pre-heat the machine properly and you maintain the heat, and you present the oxygen properly, the body becomes the fuel source. By building a true cremator, and not a modified incinerator, we can control the combustion process and cremate bodies faster, more efficiently, and using less fuel.”

In the video below, Kassoff provides a peek inside the primary chamber where cremation takes place. The burner in this model is in the ceiling of the chamber. This machine is designed to handle bodies up to 500 pounds, and can process a body in two-and-a-half hours, handling up to two to three cremations a day.

New cremation retorts are much more energy efficient than earlier machines. This model uses 30-35% less natural gas in the cremation process. Their bigger model, the FT III, can handle bodies weighing up to 1,200 pounds, uses 60-70% less fuel and processes a body in 75 to 90 minutes. Larger bodies take longer, up to four or five hours, depending on body composition and sex of the deceased.

These cremation retorts also have advanced filtration systems which minimize emissions of particulate matter, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide, organic compounds, and mercury. The company claims in their materials, “the air that is released from a Facultatieve Technologies Cremation System with Filtration is generally cleaner than the air that is breathed when you walk outside your residence.”

To learn more about the cremation and incineration equipment from Facultatieve Technologies (FT), which is based in The Netherlands, visit www.Facultatieve-Technologies.com. You can also call Ernie Kassoff directly at 330-723-6339.