Bristol City Council has committed £350k to the upgrades
Canford Cemetery and Crematorium(Image: Google Maps)
The four aging gas cremators at Canford cemetery in north Bristol – the city council’s “single highest emitter of carbon” – will be replaced with electric versions in a £350,000 project.
A senior officer decision posted on the authority’s website said the burners were 40 years old – 10 years more than their typical lifespan.
It said that although the machines were legally compliant, an expected change in regulations over flue gas mercury levels would mean they were not.
The report said: “The change from gas to lower carbon electric cremators and the installation of modern filtration equipment will require alterations to the existing crematoria building and energy supply.
“The initial phase of this project involves conducting site surveys and designing the required structural, mechanical, and electrical alterations to the building.
“This phase will also address issues such as planning consent, contractor procurement, risk management and develop an operational plan for works delivery phase.
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“The purpose of this report is to record the decision to allocate a budget of £350k to complete this design and development work.”
It said that because the project had a “significant decarbonisation component”, the design and development of the scheme would be done by City Leap, the council’s 20-year partnership with private company Ameresco to deliver low carbon energy infrastructure projects.
The decision report, by executive director for growth and regeneration John Smith, said money to pay for it would come from the council’s decarbonisation fund while it could also receive government cash from a grant programme to reduce public authorities’ CO2 emissions.
It said: “Canford’s four gas cremators are approximately 40 years old, with cremators typically requiring full replacement after 30 years.
“Canford Crematorium is Bristol City Council’s single highest emitter of carbon.
“New electric cremators will help to meet the council’s carbon reduction targets and reduce energy costs.
“The current cremators are not fitted with flue gas mercury abatement (filtration) equipment.
“Although currently compliant, an anticipated change to regulations is expected which will mandate 100 per cent mercury abatement.
“Revenue generated by the crematoria supports the wider council cemeteries and parks operations.”
The crematorium is at Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym.
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