From 1844 - 54 Flåt was a copper mine, then from 1872 it was worked for nickel. The English Company H.H.Vivian worked the mine from 1884 - 94.
Colonel Henriksen started up the mining activity again in 1899. In 1910 a nickel refinery was built in
Kristiansand whilst the works in Evje were modernised. Electricity, with a wire way, meant the end of horse transport to the smelter in Evje. Up to 350 men worked at one time.
Refiningwork Ltd. started up in 1927. 3,2 million tons of ore were extracted. The lod was 422 m deep and went below the sea level!
20200 tons of nickel and 14500 tons of copper had been refined by the time the mine closed down in 1946. Alltogether 75 % of Norway’s nickel is produced in Evje.
More information on Flåt nickelmines her !
Flåt Nickel Mine 1844 - 1946.