Radviliškis District Mayor Kazimieras Račkauskis has welcomed plans by the German defence industry giant Rheinmetall to build a 155 mm ammunition factory in the district, saying that the project will give a boost to the region’s economy.
However, the eldership of Baisogala, the potential site of the plant, is cautious about the plans and awaits more information.
An eldership is the smallest administrative division in Lithuania.
Seven sources, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, have confirmed to BNS that state-owned land operated by the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) near the town of Baisogala is being considered as a location for Rheinmetall’s ammunition factory.
“Everything seems to be in order, and we view it positively,” Mayor Račkauskis told BNS on Monday. “When a company like this comes to your district, you should be pleased.”
He said he had not been aware of Rheinmetall’s possible arrival and hoped the news would prove true.
According to the mayor, the factory would create new jobs in Radviliškis District, not only through direct employment but also in linked industries.
“The project may draw satellite investors, because a factory like this will likely require a full range of services, such as accommodation, food, transport and others, which will undoubtedly provide a positive boost to our district,” he said.
Račkauskis noted that “these matters are decided at the governmental level” and that it is not within his competence as the mayor to say “100-percent that this will or will not happen”.
“I know that several districts were being considered as possible sites and there were rumours before about some ongoing monitoring, but now that it has become public, I must admit I didn’t know specifically which plot was being discussed, but there were some thoughts,” he added.
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‘A bolt from the blue’
Baisogala Elder Renata Masiulienė told BNS that the news about Rheinmetall’s intentions came “like a bolt from the blue” on Monday morning.
“A bolt of lightning can’t be a cause for joy, because it’s a military facility, not an investment like a window factory or something,” Masiulienė told BNS.
“Looking at it from another angle, however, such things have to be built somewhere. It’s good when it’s not in your own backyard, but sometimes it happens that it knocks on your door,” she added.
“The chairman of the [local] community is scared, because we have farmers around, and we have Granulita, a sizable company which has made a lot of investments, and development might be halted. We don’t know how to judge it; everything is too fresh,” she said.
According to Masiulienė, the eldership of Baisogala has a population of 3,600 people, making it the third largest eldership in Radviliškis District.
“As to the LSMU’s land plot, it’s right next to the town of Baisogala, which has around 1,800 residents. Given its size, it can border the village of Augmenai,” she said.
Rheinmetall’s plans to build an ammunition factory in Lithuania were confirmed by Armin Papperger, its CEO, back in mid-March, but the exact location under consideration has not yet been disclosed.
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