UK Shortlists 13 Potential Sites for New Explosives Plants in Bid to Rebuild Energetics Industry
The UK has entered the next phase of its energetics revival plan, naming 13 potential locations for new explosives, propellant and pyrotechnics plants. The initiative is part of a £1.5bn uplift aimed at rebuilding high-volume munitions production for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The United Kingdom has taken a concrete step toward restoring its domestic energetics and munitions base, identifying 13 potential locations for new explosives and propellant factories as part of the Strategic Defence Review’s £1.5 billion investment package.
Defence Secretary John Healey will outline the plans in Westminster, confirming that the Ministry of Defence has already commissioned engineering design work for the first facility and funded feasibility studies across the wider program. He said construction on the initial plant should begin “within the next year,” marking the first major expansion of UK energetics manufacturing in nearly two decades.
According to the MOD, the new sites would enable Britain to restore high-volume production of critical components — including propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics — and shift the country toward a posture of sustained industrial readiness.
Healey is expected to frame the initiative as a response to a “new era of threat”, arguing that long-term stockpile resilience requires domestic capacity rather than reliance on foreign suppliers. The programme is projected to create at least 1,000 jobs.
Potential Locations Identified
Sites span all parts of the UK, including:
- Monmouthshire
- Cumbria
- Dumfriesshire
- Ayrshire
- Shropshire
- Cheshire
- Derbyshire
- Essex
- Worcestershire
- Hampshire
- Pembrokeshire
- Stirlingshire
Earlier candidate areas such as Grangemouth, Teesside and Milford Haven remain on the long list.
While the geographic spread gives the appearance of coordinated national momentum, the MOD has not disclosed how far advanced each site is in technical vetting or environmental assessment. A Planned Procurement Note released today outlines requirements tied to nine priority energetic materials and invites industry proposals.
The government also flagged two new drone production facilities — Helsing’s plant in Plymouth and a STARK production line in Swindon — as proof of broader industrial growth within the UK defence sector.
For now, the announcement offers direction rather than delivery. The strategic intent is clear, but the critical details that will determine feasibility, timelines and final site selection remain undisclosed.
