Resomation rapidly decomposes bodies in a solution of water and potassium hydroxide heated to 150°C (302°F). Although the process was developed in the United States, it is not yet legal in most states; nor is it legal in the UK.

Enter Resomation Ltd, a Glasgow company that has entered into discussions with more than a dozen local authorities that are desperate to find new ways of handling their dead and interested in learning more about resomation. Because no local authority can approve resomation until the process is legalized by the national Government, however, Resomation Ltd is also lobbying members of the House of Commons.

A report in The Independent, citing an acknowledgment by justice minister Bridget Prentice, suggests those efforts might be getting somewhere. “We are… aware of the growing interest in resomation as an alternative method of disposal. In view of this interest we are giving consideration to the representations that have already been made to us and are exploring how best to engage more widely on this issue,” says Prentice.

New Solutions, Not-so-New Problem
Seven years ago, a report from the House of Commons environment committee expressed alarm about the “sheer magnitude of the problems facing our cemeteries” and called the Government’s handling of the crisis “inexcusable.” Today, experts say that half the graveyards in Greater London are already full, and the remaining capacity is being used up at the rate of 10,000 interments per year. Even with two bodies buried in each grave, the remaining space will run out quickly.

Proponents claim that legalizing resomation will not only help to alleviate the space problem, but also provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to cremation.

In Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a city just outside Barcelona, a glittering expanse of 462 solar panels have turned the local cemetery into a source of light. Santa Coloma has converted its municipal graveyard into a power plant with a capacity of 100 kilowatts, enough to meet the energy needs of 60 families.

Esteve Serret is the director of Conste, the company that manages Santa Coloma’s cemetery. While working among the graves one day, Serret was struck by the idea that the location had tremendous potential as a source for renewable energy. In Serret’s words: “To produce solar energy you need a wide open space, and in Santa Coloma, the biggest open space is the cemetery.”

With a commitment of $935,000 in funding from Conste and the power company Endesa to cover installation costs, Serret convinced the Santa Coloma city government to allow construction of the solar panels in the cemetery. With great care to preserve the character and serenity of the graveyard, the project met little opposition.

Energy Initiative Meets Glowing Response
Response to the experiment at Santa Coloma has, in fact, been so positive that the cemetery may come to be seen as a trendsetter. Barcelona and other cities throughout Spain have already begun to inquire about the city’s venture into the energy business, and according to Santa Coloma City Council member Begoña Bellete, the city is setting a prime example of acting locally to affect global change. “In a city like this one, which is working-class, has a high immigrant population, and plenty of problems, it’s nice to be a reference for something positive,” says Bellete.

Indeed. If each of Spain’s 8,000 cities employed the technology in their own cemeteries, the energy generated could potentially reach 800,000 kilowatts.