Kykkelsrud hydroelectric power station

Parti from Kykkelsrud
Credit: Carl Normann/Nasjonalbiblioteket's image collection

Kykkelsrud power plant is a representative of the larger power plants that came into operation in the early 20th century. It was in operation from 1903 and became important both for the Oslo's electricity supply and for industry.

A local farm owner, Anders C. Furuholmen, owned the waterfalls at Kykkelsrud from the 1860s. He modernized a mill and an old sawmill on the property, blasted canals, built ponds, houses and built roads down to the facilities. The demand for wood pulp increased strongly at this time, and Kykkelsrud was conveniently located with railway right nearby. The company A/S Glommens Træsliberi was established with Furuholmen as a shareholder. He also planned a power plant for electricity production at Kykkelsrud. But after unsuccessful attempts to raise sufficient capital, the German company Schuckert & Co. took over Glommens Træsliberi, and thus also the power plant plans.

The power plant was originally planned with 13 units, and the first two were put into operation in 1903. They were the same size, with vertical Francis turbines. The drop height varied from 15.5 to 19 meters in the unregulated watercourse. The first stage of construction was completed in 1906 and the second stage of construction in 1913 when the power station was extended and a further five aggregates were installed. Aktieselskabet HafslundArchived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine took over the majority of the shares in 1910 in Glommens Træsliberi and thus also Kykkelsrud power plant. The plan was now to transfer electricity to the capital, which was a long transfer by the standards of the time. The twelfth and last unit came into operation in 1948.

The architecture is from two different eras. In the original part, the modern Art Nouveau of the time is seen mostly in decorative details. It is not known who designed this part. In 1941, Thorvald and Henning Astrup were commissioned to design an extension of the power station. The main features of the original facility were continued, particularly in the interiors. In the exteriors, the additions were marked with a new window shape in the north gable. The new facility was designed by the architects Knut Astrup and Gudmund Bakke. This section is one of the most distinctive installations of this type from the first twenty years after World War II. The engine room is located in an elongated main section.

Gamle Kykkelsrud power station is one of the oldest, large power stations in Norway and is therefore considered an important cultural monument. In 2006, the power plant joined the thematic plan Cultural monuments in Norwegian power generation which was prepared by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) in collaboration with Energi Norge, Statkraft Energi AS , Norsk Hydro ASA and Riksantikvaren.

The forerunner of Kykkelsrud power plant was Kuråsfossen which is located at the very top of the Glomma River. The difference between these two power plants is large despite the short difference in age (Kuråsfossen came into operation in 1896), both in terms of the size of the power plants and the use of the power. Kykkelsrud is counted together with Vamma from 1915, Rånåsfoss from 1921 and Solbergfoss from 1924, as important for Norwegian expertise in the development of river power plants, with low falls and large watercourses. The buildings show that the power plants had great importance in Norway, which was highlighted in the power station buildings both in the interior and exterior. The old part of Kykkelsrud power station together with the new one shows technical solutions from two different eras, both in terms of machinery and electronics, as well as construction engineering.

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  From the machine hall in the old power plant
  Credit: Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat
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  Old postcard showing the inlet channel to the old power plant
  Credit: Carl Normann via Nasjonalbiblioteket
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  The new power plant under construction, 2009
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  The new Kykkelsrud-Fossumfoss plant

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