– The next of kin are disappointed, and perhaps think the process of the deceased being transported on a lorry to Odda is not a dignified way of doing this. That’s what the head of ceremonies at humanist burials in Haugesund, Tor Inge Vormedal, says. He tells news that it can take several months before the deceased are cremated. – For the next of kin, it can feel like a burden when they have to wait so long. In Haugesund and the surrounding municipalities, the cremation must either be carried out at the crematoria either in Odda or in Stavanger. Both are a two-hour drive away. The crematorium in Stavanger has started receiving coffins from Haugesund. Photo: Ingvild Taranger / news Too few crematoria There are 26 crematoria in Norway. None in Haugesund. Bjarne Kjeldsen is an adviser in the vocational section for church, culture and upbringing in the Trade Union. He says there are several places where the lack of a crematorium is a big problem. – We cannot tolerate a very large increase in the generation percentage until a fairly clear ceiling is reached. Just over a year ago, the Norwegian Cremation Foundation published the report “The cremation business in Norway”, written by Kjeldsen. According to the report, there are not enough crematoria in Norway, either in the short or long term. In large parts of Norway, the capacity is either too poor, or the distance to the nearest crematorium is too long, claims Kjeldsen. – When it is already a problem in smaller areas, you can imagine that this will become a problem in medium-populated areas in a short time, says Kjeldsen. The statistics show that nearly half of those who die in Norway are cremated. This is an urban phenomenon. In Oslo in 2021, three out of four people who died were cremated. If the offer had been better, more people would have chosen cremation, Kjeldsen believes. – There can be several things that lead to people opting out of cremation as a form of burial, even though it was initially the most natural choice. Bjarne Kjeldsen from the Trade Union believes there are too few crematoria in Norway. Photo: KA / FOTO There will be a need for 76 per cent more The aging population will cause the number of deaths per year to increase in the coming decades. In addition, the number of people who want cremation is increasing. If the trend in Norway follows Sweden, Norway will need to be able to handle 50,000 cremations annually in 2060. That is 76 percent more than the capacity Norwegian crematoria have today. The increased demand is also noticeable in Stavanger. – We see a large increase. From 2021 to 2022 it was 25 per cent, but the crematorium in Stavanger has good capacity, says church warden in the Stavanger church joint council, Rune Skagestad. But he also notices that the capacity should be increased. Previously, they received coffins from Sør-Rogaland and Ryfylke. Now they receive from all over Rogaland. Skagestad wants two ovens. – Both to take care of the need in relation to more cremations, but also that we have regular shutdowns for maintenance and the like, and then it will be necessary to have an even cremation in the region. Church warden Rune Skagestad believes that the capacity in Stavanger is currently good enough, but that it should be increased to take account of population growth. Photo: Ingvild Taranger / news Plans for a new crematorium In Haugesund, churchwarden Kjetil Nordstrøm has both a vision and concrete plans for a new crematorium. – If I could choose on the top shelf, I would have a crematorium that has space to carry out ceremonies in connection with the cremation. And that it would have been possible to go straight from the ceremony to a restaurant area where you could have a memorial service, says Nordstrøm. The new crematorium will have a price tag of NOK 60 million. It is not certain that the politicians will prioritize this. A decision will probably come during the year. – The current status is that we are working on a feasibility study, and are trying to draw up various alternatives that we want to send for political consideration. That way we get a signal about what the politicians want us to prioritize and work on further, he says. Church warden Kjetil Nordstrøm has concrete plans for a crematorium in Haugesund. Photo: Gisle Jørgensen / news
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It can take months before the deceased is cremated – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
