The increasing preference for cremation has begun to put stress on the Rauhannummi Crematorium. It serves Hyvinkää and its neighboring areas. With cremation rates rising and an aging population the facility is occasionally unable to keep up with demand. This could lead to extended wait times transporting the deceased to other locations and added financial burden for families. In response the parishes of Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, Tuusula and Kerava are now exploring the idea of building a new shared regional crematorium.
Published: 16/06/25 | 00:52
“The number of burials is expected to rise until the 2050s so Rauhannummi’s capacity won’t be sufficient going forward,” explains Markku Husso who is the head of funeral services for the Hyvinkää Parish.
Typically cremations at Rauhannummi take place within a week. However, when nearby crematoriums experience maintenance issues or equipment failures delays can occur.
“There are times when we have to limit how many deceased individuals can be stored in our cold facilities simply due to lack of space. In such cases the deceased are kept in their home parishes’ cold storage units, which can stretch the cremation timeline to two weeks,” says Husso.
According to the Church Board, burials should ideally take place within three weeks of death. While Hyvinkää does not charge families for extended storage periods cities like Helsinki do.
Cremation has now become the most commonly chosen method of burial in Finland. Statistics from the Finnish Funeral Association show that in 2024, 65% of all deaths resulted in cremation.
“In Hyvinkää more than 80% of residents are cremated. In 2010 Rauhannummi handled around 800 cremations. Last year that number exceeded 1,700,” Husso states.
The crematorium is operating near the limits of its technical capacity with 1,700 annual cremations being its practical maximum.
A proposed new crematorium would be able to accommodate about 2,500 cremations annually qualifying it as a medium-large facility by Finnish standards.
“This new furnace would be designed specifically for higher volumes of cremation both in structure and technology. The existing furnace would still be kept in use as a backup in case of breakdowns or during maintenance,” Husso adds.
The proposed location for the new crematorium is at the existing Rauhannummi Cemetery in Hyvinkää. The plan involves establishing a limited liability company allowing the participating parishes to eventually recover their investment.
Startup costs are expected to be divided according to each municipality’s population. Cremation fees would cover the operational costs and any financial surplus would be allocated to the upkeep of the facility.
Parish administrations are expected to decide on the joint project in the fall. The total estimated investment stands at €3.5 million with final approval resting with the parishes’ church councils.
