Behind every tunnel, every quarry and every major infrastructure project sits an industry that rarely makes the headlines: commercial explosives. The latest market research suggests the sector is entering a decade of structural growth – and that the rules of competition are being rewritten.
Global Explosives Market 2026-2035: 4 Forces of Change
The demand picture to 2035
According to a recent Expert Market Research outlook covering 2026-2035, global explosives consumption stood at roughly 17.44 million tonnes in 2025 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 5.2%, reaching about 28.95 million tonnes by 2035.
Asia Pacific accounts for the largest share of volume, while Latin America is the fastest-growing region. Europe and North America are described as mature, technology-led markets where differentiation comes from technology, safety performance and service depth rather than volume alone. For a European producer, in other words, growth is measured in capability as much as in tonnes.
- The energy transition is rewriting the demand mix
Demand for copper, lithium, gold and rare earth elements – the raw materials of electrification and energy storage – is structurally accelerating mining activity. Every new mine translates into multi-year demand for emulsion explosives and ammonium nitrate, with a clear shift toward higher-energy formulations.
This is precisely where ELTEK has invested. Explo Gel HYDRA 6000, with a detonation velocity of around 6,200 m/s, is a suitable replacement for gelatin dynamite in hard rock, while UG Bulk Emulsion HYDRA 6000 delivers comparable energy performance in bulk form.
- Digital initiation becomes the standard
Electronic detonators continue to gain ground over conventional initiation systems, and the reasoning is practical: programmable delay timing improves fragmentation, reduces misfires and limits ground vibration – a decisive factor for quarries and tunnels operating close to residential areas or sensitive infrastructure.
The trend elevates blast design to the same level of importance as the explosive itself. What operators increasingly buy is not raw power but a controlled result. Explo Gel 200 Contour, packaged in rigid 25 mm antistatic PVC tubes, exists for exactly this purpose: perimeter holes in tunnelling, where overbreak has to be avoided.
- Bulk emulsions dominate – and move to the worksite
Bulk products – ANFO and pumpable emulsions – still represent the largest share of mining explosives spending, thanks to their cost efficiency in high-volume operations. What matters most, however, is where they are manufactured. On-site production limits stored quantities, reduces handling risk and optimises borehole charging.
ELTEK was the first company in the Balkans to implement bulk charging in underground mines using mobile explosives production units, and has since implemented uphole bulk charging – a technology that reduces the number of holes drilled while maximising charge efficiency.
- Sustainability enters the tender document
Reduced-emission emulsions and post-blast fume quality are no longer technical footnotes. They are becoming supplier evaluation criteria alongside cost and productivity – which means one thing: measurable data.
In this context, ELTEK is investing, in collaboration with the University of Western Macedonia, in a Detonation Chamber – a facility that measures detonation velocity, the volume and quality of gases released, and oxygen balance. No other commercial explosives manufacturer in Europe operates such an installation, and it turns product performance from a claim into a measurement.
Industry consolidation: why partnership matters
At the same time, the global industry is consolidating. Billion-dollar acquisitions and corporate restructurings are producing fewer, larger and more specialised players with stronger digital and technological capability. For a company based in Southeastern Europe, access to international expertise is a prerequisite rather than a luxury.
ELTEK’s strategic partnership with the Swiss group Société Suisse des Explosifs (SSE), which has held 21.7% of the company’s shares since 2022, secures exactly that: access to technology, methodologies and 130 years of experience in explosives manufacturing.
What this means for ELTEK customers
Market trends only matter when they translate into production and logistics capability. Today, ELTEK operates with:
- 140 acres of owned land in Agalaioi, Grevena, with 27 modern industrial facilities built in 2023/2024.
- Production capacity of 4 tonnes per hour of explosive emulsion and 10 tonnes per hour of ANFO.
- A complete product range: Explo Gel 100, Explo Gel 200, Explo Gel 200 Contour, Explo Gel 750S, Explo Gel HYDRA 6000, ExploSplit, Explo ANFO, UG Bulk Emulsion 100 and UG Bulk Emulsion HYDRA 6000.
- A privately owned fleet of trucks of all sizes, all classified ADR EX III, with drivers certified for explosives transport inside and outside Greece.
- Deliveries to North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Romania and Serbia, as well as Germany, Poland and the Scandinavian countries.
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification, with CE marking issued by the German notified body BAM.
The next decade belongs to those who can measure
The explosives market will grow – that much is close to certain. The open question is who will serve it. The answer lies less in production capacity alone and more in the combination of technology, documented performance, environmental compliance and consistently safe delivery. That combination is what ELTEK has been investing in from day one.
Stronger. Safer. Committed.
Need technical support for your blast design, or a quotation for explosive materials? Our technical team is at your disposal.
ELTEK SA | Agalaioi, Grevena 51100, Greece | +30 2462 770 000 | Atsipopoulo, Rethymno 74100 | +30 2831 033 348 | info@eltek.com.gr | eltek.com.gr
Market data source: Expert Market Research, “Explosives Market Report and Forecast 2026-2035”. Figures are cited as third-party market research estimates.
