Københavns Belysningsvæsen
Encyclopedia
Københavns Belysningsvæsen was a municipally owned company which supplied Copenhagen
Copenhagen municipality
Copenhagen Municipality is the largest of the municipalities making up the city of Copenhagen. It lies at the center of Copenhagen and contains the old historic city....

 Tårnby and Dragør municipalities with first gas and later electricity and distant heating until 2001 when it was merged with Københavns Vand to from Københavns Energi, a name it had already operated under since 1999.

History

Copenhagen's first gas works, Vestre Gasværk, opened in 1857 roughly where the Meat-Packing District lies today. It was followed by Østre Gasværk in 1878. Initially known as Københavns Gasværker (en. Gasworks of Copenhagen) the company changed its name to Københavns Belysningsvæsen in 1891. Gothergade Power Station, Copenhagen's as well as Denmark's first electricity plant, opened the following year at Gothersgade
Gothersgade
Gothersgade is a major street in the City Centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends from Kongens Nytorv to Sortedam Lake, passing Rosenborg Castle and Gardens, Nørreport Station and Copenhagen Botanic Gardens on the way....

. Vestre Elbærk opened in 1898, Østre Elbærg in 1903 and H. C. Ørsted Power Station
H. C. Ørsted Power Station
H. C. Ørsted Power Station is a natural gas fired combined heat and power station located at Enghave Brygge in the South Docklands of Copenhagen, Denmark...

 in 1920.

In 1925 part of the production was converted into a combination of electricity and district heating
District heating
District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...

. Svanemølle Power Station
Svanemølle Power Station
Svanemølle Power Station is a natural gas fueled combined heat and power station located at the south side of Svanemølle Bat in the North Docklands of Copenhagen, Denmark...

 was inaugurated in 1953 and Amager Power Station in 1971, both with combined production of electricity and district heating.

In 1999 Københavns Belysningsvæsen changed its name to Københavns Energi and in 2001 it was merged with Copenhagen's local water supply company. In 2005 it was decided to sell the electricity-related activities with effect from 1 May 2006.

Head office

In 1909 the company launched a competition for the design of a new headquarters at Gothersgade
Gothersgade
Gothersgade is a major street in the City Centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends from Kongens Nytorv to Sortedam Lake, passing Rosenborg Castle and Gardens, Nørreport Station and Copenhagen Botanic Gardens on the way....

. It was won by Gustav Bartholin Hagen
Gustav Bartholin Hagen
Gustav Bartholin Hagen was a Danish architect. He was the father of the architect Ole Hagen.-Early life and education:...

. He subsequently made the final design in collaboration with Rolf Schroeder who had taken 3rd prize, and the building was completed in 1913. It is built in Art Nouveau style, in Denmark known as Skønvirke. The portal around the main entrance, which faces Vognmagergade, a small side street to Gothersgade, is inspired by the Coat of arms of Copenhagen
Coat of arms of Copenhagen
The coat of arms of Copenhagen was granted 24 June 1661 by king Frederick III of Denmark in appraisal of its citizens' efforts in repelling the Swedish siege and attack on Copenhagen in 1658-1659...

.
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