Aalborg plans new crematorium as narrow ovens force long journeys

Aalborg needs a new crematorium because its ageing ovens are too narrow for some coffins, forcing families to transport the deceased hundreds of kilometres for cremation, DR reports.

The current crematorium, built in 1969, is often out of service, funeral director Kristian Petersen of Folmer Olsens Begravelsesforretning in Aalborg told DR. The breakdowns can delay the time between a funeral ceremony and the family placing the urn in a cemetery, he said.

Aalborg Municipality has allocated 158 million kroner for a new crematorium. Its ovens will have wider doors to accommodate larger coffins. People in North Jutland generally weigh more than in the past, the article reports, and some now need wider coffins that cannot fit through the doors of the existing ovens.

As a result, some deceased people are taken to crematoria in Kolding or Aabenraa, several hundred kilometres away. The extra journey in a hearse also increases costs for families, Petersen said.

The new crematorium is not expected to be ready until 2032. Peter Lindholdt of DD, Aalborg’s councillor for technical and environmental affairs, said the need for new ovens was urgent. The current ovens can be kept running until around 2030 or 2031, he said.

The project requires a new building, the purchase of ovens and a decision on what fuel they will use, Lindholdt said. The existing crematorium has two ovens. The new facility is planned to have three, including one capable of handling larger coffins, with space for a fourth to be installed later.