€200 Million to Build an Explosives and Warhead Manufacturing Complex Near Jēkabpils, Latvia, With Production Set to Begin

The 40-hectare facility will be built on land secured under a long-term agreement with Latvia's State Forests (LVM). Construction and production are planned in three phases beginning in 2027, with around 200 skilled jobs expected once the complex is fully operational. Wolfram Europa said the plant will produce military explosives, warheads and counter-mobility systems.

At full capacity, it is expected to produce up to 300 metric tons of RDX or 100 metric tons of HMX annually, as well as assemble 100,000 anti-tank mines and 200,000 warheads per year. Latvian Economics Minister Viktors Valainis said the investment would strengthen the country's defense industry while creating high-value jobs and increasing industrial capacity. Wolfram Europa CEO Magnus-Valdemar Saar said the Jēkabpils facility would be the company's first major production site as it seeks to expand explosives manufacturing capacity in Europe.

The company said in its press release that Europe is producing far from enough explosives and that it aims to fill that gap. Its goal is to become Europe's largest explosives manufacturer. "Over the past 35 years, Europe has steadily scaled back its explosives and ammunition industry, which has also brought technological development in the sector to a standstill.

Europe is rearming, but investment remains focused primarily on platforms and final assembly." This is the explosives gap: weapons production is being scaled up faster than the explosives and warheads that make those weapons effective, Saar said. Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!