NATO fuel cycle

More than fresh pipelines

Although the plan to build fresh pipelines is of top interest, the NATO programme, worth EUR 27 billion, is much broader. It covers the full fuel safety strategy – from warehouses and transhipment bases, through pumping and distribution facilities to connections to ports, refineries and military airports. In practice, the aim is to make an infrastructure for the fast transportation of fuel to units deployed to the east flank and troops that will be transferred there in the event of a crisis.

The detailed course of the fresh installations has not yet been revealed. However, it is known that the task has been part of a number of years of efforts to extend the Natatian fuel infrastructure to Central Europe. Poland has already declared its readiness to build a connection with the existing NATO network, and the Oil tube Operation Company (PERN) – a state-owned company liable for oil transport and fuel retention was active in the preparation. PERN manages, among others, the Pomeranian Pipeline, fuel bases and the Polish section of the “Friendship” pipeline, as the basis of the national energy safety system.

In the fall of 2025 MON and PERN signed the agreement concerning the preparation of the investment which, according to the assumptions, would cover around 300 km of fresh pipelines. The estimated cost of the task was estimated at around PLN 20 billion. The current NATO decision means that national preparations carried out for respective years are part of a much broader programme to make the logistics infrastructure of the full Alliance.

NATO fuel cycle

The foundation of the current strategy remains Central Europe Pipeline strategy (CEPS) – the largest network of fuel pipelines. It has been established since the late 1950s as part of preparations for a possible war with the Warsaw Pact states. Its task was to supply fuel supplies to NATO troops without having to affect a immense number of road and rail tanks.

Today, CEPS has about 5314 km of pipelines moving through Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The network connects refineries, seaports, fuel storage, military bases and airports, allowing the transport of finished oil products – primarily aviation fuel, diesel and petrol.

The strategy was designed from the beginning with advanced opposition to damage. It included many pump stations, valves to cut off damaged sections, and distributed fuel storage. In many places the pipelines were led underground, making it hard to detect and destruct them from the air. Even harm to 1 fragment did not gotta mean paralysis of the full network – the fuel could be driven by alternate routes or supplemented by wheeled transport.

The characteristic feature of CEPS is its dual purpose. In peacetime, much of the capacity is utilized by civilian users, including large European airports. However, in a crisis situation, the rule of precedence for NATO defence needs applies.
Lesson from Ukraine
For decades, the strategy has been developed primarily for Western Europe. NATO's enlargement to the countries of Central and east Europe, and above all Russian aggression against However, Ukraine has again made fuel logistics the focus of military planners. The Alliance's analysis has increasingly indicated that the ability to rapidly spread troops to the east flank will be limited if the fuel supply strategy fails to keep pace behind moving troops.

The experience of the war in Ukraine besides shows that logistics infrastructure has become 1 of the precedence objectives of the opponent’s actions. Fuel storage, warehouses, handling terminals, bridges and railway lines are under attack. For this reason, NATO is increasingly insistent on dissipating stocks and building systems capable of maintaining supplies even if part of the infrastructure is damaged.

Pipelines do not replace road or rail transport. They complement it. They let large quantities of fuel to be transferred to major logistics bases, where it goes further to military units utilizing tanks. This reduces the number of convoys on the road, increases the capacity of the strategy and reduces the vulnerability of the logistics facilities to interference.

The importance of specified solutions will grow with the expansion of the military possible of the east flank states. Modern tanks, combat infantry wagons, multi-purpose aircraft, helicopters or anti-aircraft defence systems require not only ammunition and spare parts, but above all constant access to fuel. This is why NATO decided to launch the largest fuel logistics investment programme in decades – a little spectacular component than fresh weapons, but essential to keep the fighting capabilities of the Alliance's troops.