Construction of an artillery ammunition plant in Lithuania’s Radviliškis district, a joint venture with Germany’s Rheinmetall, is slightly behind schedule but remains on track to begin production in mid-2027, a state energy official said Wednesday.
Mindaugas Keizeris, head of the state-owned energy group Epso-G, told the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence that construction at the site has reached about 20%, with work ongoing on dozens of buildings.
“According to the schedule we hope to maintain, construction is slightly behind the ideal,” Keizeris said. He attributed the delay to a prolonged winter that prevented certain works from being carried out, adding that proceeding would have caused “technological consequences”.
Keizeris said ammunition production at the facility is still expected to begin around mid-2027, as previously planned. He noted that Rheinmetall had initially indicated slightly earlier timelines but said the current schedule remains realistic.
“We are likely still in a situation where production will start in mid-2027,” he said. “We are trying to stick to this deadline for now. It is not an easy process.”
The project includes about 40 buildings on a 340-hectare site near Baisogala and is described by officials as complex due to its scale and technical requirements.
Epso-G, through its subsidiary Epso-G Invest, holds a 48% stake in the joint venture. Rheinmetall owns 51%, and the remaining 1% is held by the Giraitė Armament Factory.
“On our part, we are contributing to ensure the process does not stall,” Keizeris said.
Separately, Rheinmetall plans to build a 400 million-euro ammunition charge competence centre in Lithuania as part of a broader expansion of the region’s defence industry.
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