On the 20th of October 2025, Pontes introduced Belgium’s first aquamation installation, marking a historic moment. It is the start of a groundbreaking pilot project carried out with scientific institutions to assess whether aquamation can become a fully fledged third funeral option alongside burial and cremation.
Although internationally the term ‘resomation’ is also frequently used, Pontes prefers to use the term ‘aquamation’ because it more clearly reflects the nature of the process and is therefore more accessible.
“Aquamation represents a new step in the evolution of funeral care,” says Tom Wustenberghs, General Director of Pontes. “We want to offer families a third option. Aquamation can be a gentler alternative: no fire, no earth, but a serene and innovative method of saying farewell. Aquamation is not a replacement for burial or cremation but a fully-fledged addition. As a pioneer in Belgium, Pontes aims to lead the way.”
The process behind aquamation is called alkaline hydrolysis. The body is placed in a sealed cylinder filled with warm water and potassium hydroxide. Under high pressure and a temperature of 150 to 160 degrees, the body breaks down naturally. After four hours, a porous bone structure remains which, as in cremation, is ground into ashes and given to the next of kin. For families, the way in which they say goodbye to their loved ones changes little.
Start of a unique pilot project
“The system has been technically tested abroad but in Flanders we still wish to proceed with caution,” says Tom Wustenberghs. The delivery of the installation in Wilrijk marks the beginning of a series of pilot aquamations in collaboration with researchers and experts from KU Leuven, the University of Antwerp, VITO, VMM and Aquafin. The entire process will be tested and further optimised using bodies donated to science. The researchers will document the impact in detail: from medical safety to the substances that remain afterwards and the responsible way in which the residual liquid, the residue, can be processed.
“The process must be thoroughly and scientifically substantiated before aquamation can be offered in Flanders,” Wustenberghs emphasises. “This involves not just environmental aspects but also medical factors and social acceptance.”
International trend, Flemish first
The first results of the pilot project are expected in 2026.
With this project, Pontes confirms its pioneering role in the Benelux. Worldwide, aquamation is gaining ground. In the United States, the method has meanwhile been approved in more than thirty states and it is also applied in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom are currently developing a legal framework; now Pontes is launching the first Belgian pilot project.
“The way we say goodbye evolves along with society. With aquamation we want to develop a future-oriented funeral option that offers families greater freedom of choice, with respect for tradition and for the sensitivities surrounding this topic. It is a new chapter that we wish to write together with our partners, step by step,” concludes Wustenberghs.
Flemish Minister of the Interior Hilde Crevits also attended the presentation of the aquamation installation on Monday: “It has been a long time since a new form of funeral care has been examined. The scientific results of this pilot project are important in determining whether, in future, we can expand the available funeral options to include aquamation. For me it is essential this method is evaluated in detail and that certain conditions are met. An ethical framework must be developed to guarantee that this new funeral method proceeds with respect for the body of the deceased. I have also requested an opinion from the Belgian Health Council. Based on all recommendations and results, Flanders will decide whether to permit this new funeral method in our region.”