Denmark plans to launch ammunition production plant

20 September, 2023 Disposal of a 155mm projectile at a factory in Denmark. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Denmark The Danish government is working to buy out the land under the former defense plant, which is planned to be used to produce ammunition.

Troels Lund Poulsen, Minister of Defense of Denmark, announced this. The minister wants to speed up the process and make efforts to buy back the land on which the munitions plant in Elling, near Frederikshavn, used to be located. According to the Defense Minister, he hopes to receive clarification within a month.

Ammunitionsarsenalet plant.

Frame from the video www.dr.dk

After that, there is hope that the factory will be used again for the purpose for which it was built. "If we can create a model in which the armed forces can intervene and facilitate the acquisition of buildings and force private companies to produce products, I believe that within the next few years we will be able to produce ammunition in Denmark," the Defense Minister said. This munitions plant dates back to 1676, when it was founded under the name Fyrvaerkerikompagniet in Copenhagen.

The production of weapons and ammunition for the Danish military was carried out at various addresses before it was assembled in Elling in 1968.

Ammunitionsarsenalet plant. Frame from the video www.dr.dk

Here, production was carried out under the name Ammunitionsarsenalet, locally known as Krudten, and at its peak, it had up to 200 employees. In 2008, the state sold the plant to Spanish ammunition manufacturer Expal, which renamed the company Denex.

The company mainly produced rifle ammunition, but old ammunition was also destroyed at the plant.

Ammunitionsarsenalet plant. Frame from the video www.dr.dk

Expal decided to close Denex in 2020 after several years of losses.

At the time, the plant employed 65 people.