Crematoria Twente has succeeded in securing subsidy funding from the EU and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to launch an innovative project investigating whether cremation using green hydrogen is possible. The initiative is the first in the Netherlands to test this technology in real-world practice. The objective is to determine whether hydrogen can be a sustainable and viable alternative to natural gas for cremation furnaces.
In the Netherlands, approximately 120 000 people are cremated each year, mostly using furnaces powered by natural gas, which results in CO2 emissions. The funeral sector has long been exploring ways to improve sustainability, but existing alternatives – such as fully electric cremation furnaces – face limitations, including grid congestion. Hydrogen may offer a solution, as much of the existing infrastructure can be retained and no CO2 is released during combustion. Cremation using hydrogen could therefore become the most sustainable option following a death.
As part of the project, an existing cremation furnace at Crematoria Twente’s Enschede location will be adapted to operate on green hydrogen. The installation will first be tested in a controlled environment and subsequently in daily operation. Key areas of assessment include safety, emissions, reliability, and the impact on the installation.
The project is an initiative of Crematoria Twente and is being carried out by a consortium of specialised partners. In addition to Crematoria Twente, the consortium consists of Facultatieve Technologies, Mateq Process, and Thermiek B.V. Together, they contribute expertise in cremation furnaces, combustion technology, safety, and high-temperature processes. According to the initiators, the project is explicitly a research and demonstration project.
“We want to carefully establish whether hydrogen can be a feasible and responsible alternative in practice,” said Harriët Tomassen, Director/CEO of Crematoria Twente. “We are not only looking at technical and environmental effects, but also at safety, regulation, and applicability at other locations. We expect to carry out the first cremation using hydrogen by the end of 2026.”
At present, no cremation furnaces worldwide operate on hydrogen. The knowledge gained in Enschede may therefore also be relevant to other sectors that require high temperatures, such as the steel, cement, and glass industries. The results of the project will be shared with governments, regulators, and the funeral sector. Based on these findings, it can be determined whether and how this form of sustainability can be implemented on a larger scale.