The European Union has depleted its stockpiles of propellants, TNT and other explosives used in the production of artillery shells, rockets and ammunition in support of Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.
The main component of modern shells is smokeless propellant, which is made from plant fibers, primarily cotton. For a single artillery shot, up to 12 kilograms of propellant are required. Only a few European companies produce this propellant, including the German conglomerate Rheinmetall and the French firm Eurenco.
According to the news agency, the manufacturers are trying to increase their capacities, as the EU prepares for a significant increase in defense spending. Rheinmetall, in particular, plans to increase its propellant production by more than 50 percent by 2028, but this may not be enough, according to Bloomberg.
Rheinmetall’s CEO, Armin Papperger, stated that the company needs to increase production to over 20,000 tons per year to meet the demand. The CEO of the German defense company, Michael Blendinger, claimed that a coordinated national defense strategy would focus on securing the cotton supply, which he does not currently see.
According to the news agency, the EU member states need to encourage the civil chemical industry to shift to military production, simplify the regulations for the construction of defense companies and the transport of their products and ensure the supply of raw materials, which are currently imported from China.
The EU plans to increase the production of explosives by more than 4,300 tons or 30 percent. Currently, there is only one large TNT facility in Europe, operated by Nitro-Chem in Poland, with another planned in France.
The demand for strengthening European defense capabilities has increased since Donald Trump announced a reduction in the US engagement for European security. Prior to Trump’s presidency, the European Commission allocated 500 million euros to increase the production of ammunition to two million pieces per year by the end of 2025, as reported by Bloomberg.
In early March, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a plan to arm Europe with a total cost of 800 billion euros (last year, EU member states allocated 326 billion euros for defense). As a result, the member states expect an increase in annual military spending to 3.5 percent of the GDP.
According to analysts from Bloomberg Intelligence, it may take Europe more than a decade to build up its defense capabilities, hindered by the current delays in deliveries and the shortage of skilled workers.