> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.adriadefense.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Wolfram Europa Plans €200M Explosives Plant in Latvia - URL: https://www.adriadefense.com/wolfram-europa-plans-eur200m-explosives-plant-in-latvia/ - Published: 2026-08-27T09:56:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-27T13:40:09.000Z - Description: Wolfram Europa plans a €200 million explosives and warhead complex near Jēkabpils, with RDX, HMX, mines and warhead production from 2027. - Author: AdriaDefense Desk - Tags: Latvia, Defense Industry, Ammunition, Wolfram Europa Estonian defense company Wolfram Europa plans to invest up to €200 million in a vertically integrated explosives and warhead manufacturing complex in Jēkabpils Municipality, Latvia. Construction is planned to begin in 2026, with the first serial production scheduled for 2027 as Latvia expands its domestic ammunition supply chain. The approximately 40-hectare complex is planned to employ around 200 people and eventually manufacture military energetic materials, warheads and anti-tank mines. At full capacity, Wolfram Europa expects the site to produce up to 300 metric tons of RDX or 100 metric tons of HMX annually, while assembling as many as 200,000 warheads and 100,000 anti-tank mines per year. ## Jēkabpils plant will combine explosives and warhead production Wolfram Europa plans to develop the Jēkabpils complex in three phases. The first will establish loading and assembly capacity, followed by chemical synthesis and, in the third phase, production of insensitive and proprietary energetic compositions. The company plans to manufacture RDX and HMX as well as finished explosive compositions including Composition B, Composition H, A3, A4, A5, C4 and polymer-bonded explosives. The planned vertical integration is significant because it combines energetic-material synthesis with downstream filling and warhead or mine assembly at the same industrial complex. Wolfram Europa Chief Executive Officer Magnus-Valdemar Saar said the company was established to address what it sees as a shortage of European energetic-material and warhead manufacturing capacity. The company describes its business as vertically integrated production spanning energetic materials, warheads and mines. Production is expected to start in the second half of 2027, according to Latvian public broadcaster LSM. The initial investment is estimated at approximately €50 million, while the complete program could reach €200 million. ## Sign up for AdriaDefense Daily defense news, analysis and industry intelligence from Central and Southeast Europe. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Latvia backs first phase of Wolfram Europa investment The Latvian government is supporting the project through its investment fund. Latvia's Ministry of Economics said eligible costs for the first phase amount to €16.2 million, with a capital rebate of up to €4.9 million. Wolfram Europa selected Jēkabpils because the site provides suitable territory and safety distances and because of the pace of the local decision-making process, according to LSM. The company has not publicly disclosed the precise location of the facility. The complex is also designed to store up to 1,200 metric tons net explosive quantity. Wolfram Europa intends that reserve to support production continuity during supply disruptions and provide stocks that can be drawn on during a crisis. ## Latvia is building a broader ammunition production base The Jēkabpils project adds another layer to Latvia's rapidly developing ammunition industrial base rather than standing as an isolated investment. Latvia's State Defence Corporation is already developing the ROLLO modular propellant charge facility for 155 mm artillery ammunition in Iecava Parish. Construction began in late 2025, with production scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2026\. The project forms part of a European consortium involving KNDS and Nammo and received support under the European Union's Act in Support of Ammunition Production program. Latvia is separately pursuing a large-caliber artillery ammunition plant with Rheinmetall. The planned joint venture between Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH and Latvia's State Defence Corporation is expected to involve more than €200 million in investment, with Rheinmetall holding 51% and the Latvian state company 49%. The State Defence Corporation has also been preparing a separate anti-tank mine production project with Dynamit Nobel Defence. Together, the initiatives show Latvia moving beyond ammunition procurement toward domestic production across propellant charges, artillery ammunition, counter-mobility systems, energetic materials and warheads. For the Baltic defense industry, the Wolfram Europa project addresses a different part of the ammunition supply chain. RDX and HMX are energetic materials used as inputs for a range of military explosive compositions, making their availability relevant to production further downstream. If the Jēkabpils program reaches its planned scale, Latvia would host both upstream energetic-material capacity and multiple downstream ammunition manufacturing projects. That would broaden the Baltic region's role within European ammunition supply chains at a time when NATO countries continue expanding inventories and production capacity. ## When will the Wolfram Europa factory in Latvia open? Wolfram Europa plans to begin construction in 2026 and start serial production in 2027\. LSM reported that operations are expected to begin in the second half of 2027. ## What will Wolfram Europa produce in Jēkabpils? At full capacity, the plant is planned to produce up to 300 metric tons of RDX or 100 metric tons of HMX annually. It is also designed to assemble up to 200,000 warheads and 100,000 anti-tank mines per year and manufacture multiple military explosive compositions. ## How much is Wolfram Europa investing in Latvia? The complete capital investment program could reach €200 million. The initial investment is estimated at approximately €50 million, while Latvian state support for eligible first-phase costs can reach €4.9 million. ## Why is the Jēkabpils explosives plant significant? The project would give Latvia domestic capacity for energetic-material synthesis as well as filling and assembly of mines and warheads. Combined with existing Latvian projects for 155 mm modular charges and large-caliber ammunition, it would expand the country's position across multiple stages of the European ammunition production chain.