Estonian Minister of Defence sends proposal to enable companies to establish ammunition production
Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur signed a proposal for a national designated spatial plan and strategic environmental impact assessment for a defence industrial park.
The aim of the proposal is to develop a defence industrial park in Estonia to enable defence industry companies to establish ammunition production in Estonia. “The European ammunition production capacity still remains at a lower level than necessary in the context of the changing security situation and the war in Ukraine. For our part, we also want to create the preconditions for ammunition production in Estonia, so that both our own Defence Forces and our allies could buy ammunition produced in Estonia,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
A suitable location for the defence industrial park is being sought and the building rights will be determined by the national designated spatial plan. “The preliminary analysis has been completed and four areas in three municipalities – the Lääne-Nigula rural municipality, the Lüganuse rural municipality, and the city of Pärnu have been selected. In the municipality of Pärnu, the planning area is located on the territory of the Audru and Tõstamaa municipal districts,” explained Indrek Sirp, Special Adviser for Defence Industry Development.
In addition, the Ministry of Defence intends to study the possibilities and feasibility for the production of explosives in Estonia. “Explosives production is essentially a chemical industry. It is likely to require many more resources, such as water and energy, than ammunition production. There is a major explosives production capacity shortage in Europe. If the feasibility analysis shows that it is economically and technologically viable, then we can find a location for an explosives plant in the course of the national designated spatial plan process, but it does not have to be in the same location as ammunition production,” said Sirp.
The industrial park has been planned with ammunition production requirements in mind. The state will develop the necessary basic infrastructure, after which the interested companies will be able to come and build their own production facilities. The park will allow for the production of small, medium and large calibre ammunition. The aim of the Ministry of Defence is to carry out the national designated spatial plan based on the preliminary site selection decision. The plan and the strategic environmental impact assessment are estimated to take a year and a half, after which construction of the park’s facilities can begin. The first production output could begin in 2.5 years.
“We are cooperating with local authorities and all other parties to find the most suitable location,” added Sirp.