Husnes is the largest village in Kvinnherad municipality, and its story is almost entirely about aluminium. In 1959, after two consecutive seasons of disastrous fishing, local leaders started looking for alternatives. The flat terrain at Husnes had direct sea access for shipping and sat close to massive hydropower sources. It was an ideal site for a smelter. Former UN Secretary-General Trygve Lie helped secure international partnerships, and Sør-Norge Aluminium (SØRAL) was formally founded on 29 June 1962.
Construction began the following year, and the first production line opened in November 1965. Within months a second hall followed. At its peak, the plant employed 485 people and produced 60,000 tonnes of aluminium per year. The smelter transformed the landscape. Husnes grew from a small farming village into an urban centre with shopping centres, schools, and sports facilities. Multiple generations worked at the plant, just as in Høyanger, Årdal, and the other fjord smelter towns.
The 2000s brought crisis. Falling aluminium prices led to losses for the first time in four decades. Hall B was closed in 2009, cutting nearly half the workforce. In 2014, Norsk Hydro acquired the plant. A 1.5 billion NOK investment followed, restarting Hall B with upgraded electrolysis technology. By 2021, Hydro Husnes was back at full capacity, producing around 195,000 tonnes of aluminium annually.
