The European Commission has awarded Finnish explosives company Forcit a €30 million grant for the TNT plant it is building in Pori. The money comes from the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), Finland’s Ministry of Defence announced on 14 October.
According to the ministry, the plant will produce TNT for Finnish and NATO needs. It will also allow long-term support for Ukraine.
— We have now secured almost €50 million in international funding for Finland’s TNT plant. The United States joined earlier, and now EU funding has also been confirmed, said Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen.
According to Forcit, the plant will double Europe’s production capacity for military-grade TNT, used in artillery and mortar ammunition. It is due to start operating in 2028.
— The funding decision is an important recognition of that work and of the role this facility will play in strengthening Europe’s supply chains and industrial capabilities, wrote Forcit CEO Joakim Westerlund on LinkedIn.
The project is one of eight chosen in EDIP’s first industrial reinforcement call, which targeted energetic components. The Commission allocated €168.2 million in total. Its factsheet shows two other Nordic companies were selected. A Nammo-led consortium received €30 million for solid rocket motors. Sweden’s Norma Precision received €6.8 million for small-calibre cartridges.
The US pledged $20 million in September, when the plant’s foundation stone was laid, as previously reported by NDS.