Europe has seen a surge in demand for ammunition, especially from Ukraine, with one of Europe’s largest ammunition manufacturers, Nordic Ammunition Company (Nammo) saying it can’t expand to meet the increased demand. This is due to a data center located nearby that is using up all the electricity in the central Norway region to store TikTok videos.
Nammo’s chief executive, Morten Brandtzæg, spoke to the U.K. newspaper Financial Times and said that there’s no excess power to support the new factory Nammo had planned at its Raufoss plant. The energy provider Elvia confirmed to the Financial Times that the network has no excess electricity, and it is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. This will ultimately require time to make available more energy to the ammunition manufacturer if needed.
Nammo is a 50/50 joint venture between Norwegian government and the Finnish aerospace and defense company Patria. According to Nammo, Ukraine would like to use 65,000 rounds of ammunition per day, exceeding the 60,000 they’re currently using, but this can’t happen without more energy to power more plants.
The bigger client of the data center is the controversial social media platform TikTok, a Chinese-owned enterprise. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was recently interviewed by Democrats and Republicans of the House energy and commerce committee about their ties with China. Chew said: “Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance [the parent company which owns TikTok] is not an agent of China or any other country.”
Nordic Ammunition Company (Nammo) is a joint venture between government and private entities responsible for developing and producing small and medium-calibre ammunition, rocket motors, and warheads. Since 1998, they have been creating cutting-edge technology, powering rockets, and satisfying the needs of defence forces and law enforcement around the world. With over a thousand employees globally and diversified business interests, Nammo strives for excellence in everything they do.
Morten Brandtzæg is the current CEO of Nammo, a Norwegian native. He has held various positions in the company beginning in 2003 and became CEO of the Group in 2015. His passion for innovation and managing expansive teams has been paramount to the success of Nammo and he looks forward to continuing to build upon the foundations laid in the organisation.
