Less than a week after FMC Rønland announced the closure of the former Cheminova plant on Harboøre Tange, several employers have already contacted the union 3F offering jobs to the roughly 400 workers being laid off.
DR reports that demand for the workers began almost immediately after the closure decision became public. Frank Abildtrup, deputy chair of 3F Holstebro-Lemvig and a former Cheminova employee, says employers from near and far have come forward.
According to Abildtrup, Vestas in Lem has 25 positions it wants filled as quickly as possible. A local car dealer is looking for a vehicle preparation worker, and the potato starch factory in Brande has asked for several employees. He says he believes all 400 will find other work during the year.
The closure was announced on Tuesday, September 1. TV2 reported that FMC has decided to shut the chemical plant on Harboøre Tange in Western Jutland by the end of 2026. The decision is part of the company’s global production optimization strategy.
According to TV2, around 400 employees will be laid off. Fagbladet 3F reports that about 230 of the affected employees are hourly-paid 3F members, including smiths and electricians.
Reduced workforce into 2027
Fagbladet 3F also reports that production is set to stop at the end of 2026. A reduced workforce will be kept on during 2027 to handle clean-up and groundwater regulation at the site.
The plant sits on Harboøre Tange in Lemvig Municipality. Cheminova operated there for decades before the site came under FMC ownership and was renamed FMC Rønland.
Politicians eye ammunition factory
Local politicians are already working to establish an ammunition factory on the site, DR reports. Jens Lønberg of the Conservative People’s Party, mayor of Lemvig Municipality, has pointed to the location and the existing workforce as arguments.
According to Lønberg, the site has a three-kilometer radius to the nearest housing. He has also noted that the area has 400 competent employees trained in handling dangerous substances, with safety standards at the highest level.
Abildtrup told DR that people from the region are used to setbacks. He said that others may knock them down, but cannot keep them down, and that the workforce will find a way forward. Workers facing dismissal in Denmark can claim unemployment insurance through an a-kasse.
Neither DR nor TV2 has reported a fixed date for the final production stop beyond the end of 2026. No decision has been announced on the proposed ammunition factory.
