Taipei funeral parlour uses heat from cremations to brew coffee

Oct 7, 2009, 6:56 GMT

   Taipei - A Taipei funeral parlour is using the heat saved from cremations to operate air conditioners and to brew coffee for mourners, the director said Wednesday.

   The project is part of the Taipei No 2 Funeral Parlour's plan to protect the environment and save energy, funeral director Yang Chih-hsien said.

   'Energy saved from treating the smoke and soot from cremating corpses is now used to run the air conditioners in the cafe and to brew coffee for the mourners,' Yang said.

   'This saves us 15,000 Taiwan dollars (450 US dollars) in electricity bills each month,' he said.

   With funds allocated by the Taipei City government, the parlour rebuilt its outdated and gloomy crematorium into a modern, two-storey building, with the first floor serving as the crematorium and the second floor as the cafe.

   The cafe in the parlour's Green Building is where the mourners rest while waiting to collect the ashes of the deceased. With seating for 130 people, it offers fast-food, cold drinks and a dozen kinds of hot coffee.

   The Taipei No 2 Funeral Parlour performs 50 cremations each day. As each cremation takes 90 minutes, the mourners usually sit in the cafe to chat and relax while waiting to collect the ashes of the dead.