Kistefos Wood Pulp Mill

The Kistefos Wood Pulp Mill[1][2][3] (Norwegian: Kistefos Træsliberi) is a former pulp mill and hydroelectric power plant in Jevnaker, Norway. It was founded by Kistefos at the river Randselva in 1889.

Kistefos pulp mill
Kistefos in the river Randelva

History

The mill was founded on June 27, 1889 by councilor Anders Sveaas and was in operation from the following year until 1955 when an agreement was made with Follum Fabrikker (now Norske Skog Follum) who took over the operation. Kistefos agreed to deliver power and lumber to the plant at Follum, being paid market price and a premium for the processing. After an internal disagreement in the family the company was sold to the neighbor company Viul Tresliperi in 1983, but was bought back by Christen Sveaas in 1993 and transformed into the holding company Kistefos.

Operation

At the plant pulp was created by hydraulic pressure transferred from turbines. Kistefos was early with electricity, and both the factory and the housing was supplied with it. The power came directly from the water fall and was transformed mechanically. After the closing of the factory the fall was converted to a hydroelectric power plant. The lumber came mill owned forests in Land, pulled across Randsfjorden and floated down Randselva to Kistefoss.

Museum

In 1991, the power plant was sold to the municipal power company Viul Kraft. In 1995, 85% of the company was sold to Christen Sveaas, the grandson of Anders Sveaas, with the objective to create an industrial museum and a contemporary sculpture park. The museum opened in 1996 as the Kistefos Museet and underwent major renovation works in the following years, thanks to donations by the Jevnaker municipality and by Sveaas. In September 2015, the museum unveiled an expansion project designed by the architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group.[4] The mill was added to the list of priority technical and industrial cultural heritage by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.

References
  1. The World's Paper Trade Review. London: Stonhill & Gillis. 1899. p. 296.
  2. Handbook of the Northern Wood Industries; Timber, Wood-Pulp, Paper. Sweden, Norway, Finland. Stockholm: Svensk trävarutidning. 1934. p. 60.
  3. "Kistefos Museum". NorWaves.com. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  4. Riccardo Bianchini. "Kistefos Museum – the art bridge by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group". Inexhibit. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
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