Official press releases, news and speeches that the minister has held are located in this section. The Ministry of Defence publishes all of its press releases and news in Finnish and Swedish and many of them in English, too.
Press Releases
Minister of Defence Häkkänen: A new TNT factory will be built in Finland
A new TNT factory will be built in Finland. Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen announced this on 31 January 2025. The factory will be located in Pori. The project's value exceeds 200 million euros.
Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen has published a plan for the construction of a new plant that will produce TNT explosives in Finland. The Ministry of Defence launched a project in early 2024 to examine the availability of TNT, either through imports from abroad or the construction of a plant in Finland. The plant will be located in Pori. The total value of the project will exceed EUR 200 million.
“I considered that the best solution is to build a plant in Finland so that the Finnish defence industry and security of supply can be strengthened at the same time. This new TNT plant will respond to the shortage of explosives throughout Europe and the problems this shortage causes for ammunition production. The project led by the Ministry of Defence will play an important role in increasing the production of ammunition in Europe. The investment will also enable Finland to continue its support for Ukraine in the long term,” Minister Häkkänen says.
The project has gained extensive support from business and industry and international partners during the year. For example, the state capital investment company Tesi is considering an investment in the plant.
“Many have been involved in this work both in Finland and abroad. This is a highly significant project for the military security of supply of Finland and Europe as a whole. Over the past year, we have advanced the project in numerous meetings in the United States and Europe. Another positive aspect is the number of new jobs the plant will create in Finland,” Häkkänen adds.
The project will be carried out by the Finnish explosives manufacturer Oy Forcit Ab. Minister Häkkänen authorised the Defence Forces to sign a letter of intent with Forcit on the procurement of TNT explosives on 31 January 2025. The letter of intent was signed on 31 January 2025 and will enable Forcit to invest in a new plant in Pori. Along with a plant in Poland, the new facility in Pori will be the second plant producing TNT explosives in the EU.
In the next stage, the Ministry of Defence will make the procurement decision and Forcit will make its investment decision.
The total value of the procurement excluding value added tax is estimated to be at least EUR 255 million, which will cover the need of the Defence Forces for TNT explosives in 2028–2037.
TNT, or trinitrotoluene, is an explosive used in artillery and mortar ammunition. The demand for TNT has increased considerably due to the war in Ukraine.
Inquiries:
Olli Ruutu, Director General, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 400
Jari Mikkonen, Deputy Chief of Staff, Armaments and Logistics, Finnish Defence Forces (jari.mikkonen@mil.fi, requests for interviews via Sari Salmi, sari.salmi@mil.fi)
Ari-Jaakko Tuominen, Chief Technical Officer, Finnish Defence Forces (ari-jaakko.tuominen@mil.fi)