World News for Students of English

08-08-2025 07:00

Europe is facing a shortage of TNT, a key explosive used in military shells, due to rising demand and limited production. Only one company, Nitro-Chem in Poland, currently produces TNT in Europe, and much of it is exported.

Sweden Ballistics (SWEBAL), led by Joakim Sjöblom, aims to fix this by building a TNT plant in Sweden to produce 4,500 tonnes annually by 2027. This won’t solve the full shortage, but it will help. Europe relies heavily on outside sources like Asia, which poses risks if exports are banned during a crisis. SWEBAL wants to keep production local, using machines and materials from within 550km. This shortens delivery times and boosts the local economy.

The EU has plans to support defence production, but companies say funding and orders are too slow. Joakim also warned that many European armies use different systems, making cooperation difficult. He believes Europe must build its defence industry or risk falling behind in security and sovereignty.

Difficult words: shortage (not enough of something), funding (money given for a special project or need), sovereignty (the power a country has to rule itself).

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