Promessa Organic AB is a Swedish company with headquarters in Göteborg, Sweden. The founder, biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak has within this Company since 2001, and its Foundation since 2005, been developing and providing a new form of ecological burial, named promession, based on a patented biological concept and technical device.
Promession involves exposure to LIN (liquid nitrogen), a short mechanical vibration, turning the remains to a powder, thereafter freeze-drying and metal separation. It all takes place in a closed, fully automatized equipment, named Promator. The remains are after this preparation, placed in a specially designed biodegradeable casket, which is then buried in the top soil. A memorial tree, smaller plant or bush can be placed at the burial spot. Within a year, the contents have decomposed and turned into soil, nourishing the newly planted memorial. This is indeed one of the most environmentally sound burial method.
Media has frequently followed Promessa´s development since more than 13 years. Now and then criticism from the existing business is noticed, but that is an expected reaction when substantial improvements, from organisations from outside the established industry, are introduced. Promessa Organic AB also developed an improved “clean cremation”, where the dry and metal free remains that exit the Promator is burned. This clean cremation can guarantee Zero Mercury and avoid the production of dioxins. It gives a surplus of energy.
The first Promator show case is due to be launched in the first half of 2015 in Sweden, followed shortly by manufactured Promators, initially for the European and Asian market. However, as of October 2014, the first commercial Promator is still scheduled to be produced after the first Show case Promator has been demonstrated. The process has so far been tested on full sized dead pigs. Since the first full scale tests in 2004, technical proof of concept has been stated.
The Swedish Church and Government has initiated several investigations to make promession, as a new and improved burial, to be included in the Swedish burial law. Promessa is providing welcome options to a lot of people, who are looking forward to the improvements for the two existing methods. There is a big need and demand for promession – environmental and space saving needs force the industry towards solutions for improvements, but the strongest pronounced driving force is coming from the people, showing their support in opinion polls and a steadily growing supporter organization, Promessa Friends, with thousands of people who signed up to show their interest.