Polish Nitro-Chem to double TNT production with new facility

Nitro-Chem plans to build a new production line for trinitrotoluene (TNT), a move expected to double the company’s output of the explosive. Representatives of both the company and the Polish government announced the plan, with the project expected to be completed within three to four years.

According to company data, Nitro-Chem is already the largest producer of TNT in Europe and among the largest in the world, producing around 10,000 tonnes annually. The firm is also the main supplier of TNT to the US Army and other NATO members. The material is primarily used in the production of artillery shells, bombs, grenades and mines.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said doubling production could give Poland a significant competitive advantage. Karol Przybyszewski, deputy chief executive of Nitro-Chem, estimated the cost of the new production line at between $269 million and $404 million.

The company plans to finance the investment through a combination of its own resources and external funding. Negotiations with the Polish Ministry of State Assets and several state-owned banks are already at an advanced stage.

Nitro-Chem has also signed several letters of intent with potential buyers in NATO countries and elsewhere in Europe for the additional TNT capacity.

(Reuters, Max)