Elkem Meraker
Corporate brand
UnclaimedElkem Meraker was a Norwegian industrial smelting plant, formerly known as Meraker Smelteverk, that produced carbide and later microsilica before closing in 2006.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Elkem Meraker was an industrial smelting plant at Kopperå in Meråker Municipality, Norway. The facility was established in 1898 to manufacture carbide and was initially associated with Meraker Brug. It later became a producer of microsilica, an industrial material generated in connection with silicon and related furnace operations and used in applications including construction materials. The plant's location connected it to Norway's industrial and transport infrastructure. Finished products were transported by rail along the Meråker Line to Muruvik, a port area in Malvik Municipality, for export shipment. This logistics chain linked the inland production site with international markets, although the available reference material does not identify specific customers, countries, sales figures, or product brands. Iver Høy was the plant's influential manager from 1906 to 1928. During that period the works were owned by Meraker Brug. In 1929, ownership passed to Union Carbide. The plant was subsequently sold by Union Carbide to Elkem in 1981 and operated under the Elkem group thereafter. The facility underwent a major contraction in 2005 and 2006. In autumn 2005, two of its three furnaces were shut down. The final furnace ceased operation in May 2006, ending production at the site. Approximately 100 employees lost their jobs. Production was largely replaced by Elkem Thamshavn, another Elkem facility in Norway. Elkem Meraker is therefore best understood as a historical industrial site and former Elkem operating brand rather than an active consumer-facing brand. No current website, active product portfolio, public listing information, or continuing operations are identified in the supplied reference material.
History
Elkem Meraker originated as a Norwegian smelting works established in 1898 at Kopperå in Meråker Municipality. Its original purpose was carbide manufacture, reflecting the importance of energy-intensive furnace industries in Norway's industrial development. The works were owned by Meraker Brug during the early twentieth century, and Iver Høy served as its influential manager from 1906 through 1928. A change in ownership occurred in 1929, when the plant was sold to Union Carbide. The transaction placed the works within an international industrial group while retaining its Norwegian production base. In 1981, Union Carbide sold the facility to Elkem. Under Elkem, the plant was known as Elkem Meraker and became associated primarily with microsilica production rather than its earlier carbide operations. The plant's business depended on transportation links between the inland works and the coast. Products were moved from Kopperå by the Meråker Line to Muruvik in Malvik Municipality, where they could be shipped abroad. This arrangement supported the plant's role in export-oriented industrial production, but the available source does not provide detailed customer information, export destinations, revenues, or production volumes. Elkem Meraker's final period was marked by a staged shutdown. In autumn 2005, two of the plant's three furnaces were closed. The remaining furnace was shut down in May 2006, bringing production at the site to an end. The closure resulted in the loss of approximately 100 jobs. Elkem largely replaced the site's production with output from its Thamshavn operation. After the 2006 closure, Elkem Meraker ceased to operate as an active production facility.
- 2006
Final closure
[1]The last furnace stopped operating in May 2006, ending production at Meraker.
- 2005
Partial furnace shutdown
[1]Two of the plant's three furnaces were shut down in autumn 2005.
- 1981
Acquired by Elkem
[1]Union Carbide sold the plant to Elkem.
- 1929
Sold to Union Carbide
[1]Ownership transferred from Meraker Brug to Union Carbide.
- 1906
Iver Høy begins influential management period
[1]Iver Høy became the plant's influential manager, a role he held until 1928.
- 1898
Plant established for carbide production
[1]The industrial works at Kopperå were established to manufacture carbide.
Products and positioning
A Norwegian industrial smelting operation serving materials and chemical markets, initially through carbide production and later through microsilica. The operation was export-oriented and relied on rail and port infrastructure to move products from Kopperå to Muruvik.
Industrial chemical and furnace product · 1898
Carbide
Carbide was the original product manufactured at the Meraker works after its establishment in 1898. The supplied reference identifies carbide production as the plant's initial industrial purpose, but does not specify the particular carbide grades, applications, production volumes, or customer industries.
Industrial mineral and materials additive
Microsilica
Microsilica became the plant's later principal product after the works were rebuilt for microsilica production. The material was produced at the smelting operation and transported by rail to Muruvik for export. The available reference does not provide a separate commercial product name, formulation details, or named end markets.
Brand decisions
2006
Close the Meraker plantStrategyBackground
Following the 2005 furnace reductions, Elkem ended production at the Meraker site and reorganized output within its Norwegian operations.
Action taken
The last remaining furnace was shut down in May 2006.
Aftermath
Around 100 employees lost their jobs, and production was largely transferred to Elkem Thamshavn.
2005
Begin staged shutdown of Meraker productionStrategyBackground
The Elkem Meraker operation was being reduced before its eventual closure, with production later replaced largely by Elkem Thamshavn.
Action taken
Two of the plant's three furnaces were shut down in autumn 2005.
Aftermath
The partial shutdown preceded the closure of the final furnace and the loss of approximately 100 jobs.
Sources1 sources
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