Who would have thought we would ever see the heavy water cellar again? Sometime in the future, you may be able to enter the basement as the well-known saboteurs did during World War II.

The hydrogen plant at Vemork was completed in 1929, and was an important element of the industrial adventure that started at Rjukan and Notodden in the early 1900's.

Norsk Hydro's establishment appears to be the best-preserved example in Norway of the second industrial revolution, which used electric power for industrial production. This helped to transform Norway and to create a modern welfare society.

The history is so important that in July 2015, the industrial heritage of Rjukan and Notodden was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The best known is probably the hydrogen plant, because it was the target of the heavy water campaign, the largest sabotage operation that took place in Norway during the Second World War. This action was called "Operation Gunnerside".

The story of the explosion night to February 27, 1943 is well known to this day, but no one has since the operation, documented the basement, which was quickly rebuilt. In 1977, Norsk Hydro decided to blow up the factory after the production had been at a standstill for 6 years, and it has been believed that everything was in ruins ever since.

The pleasure was therefore great when it was decided that the basement was to be tried and excavated, and in early October 2017 the heavy water cellar was found completely intact.

Although the room had changed somewhat between 1943 and the demolition of the factory in 1977, the traces in concrete and drawings from the wartime period show the original room.

With a total of 2,800 square meters, there are big plans for the heavy water cellar. The old and historic basement will be renovated and eventually become a museum, which tells more about the sabotage action during World War II.

You can read more about Vemork here