On Wednesday, at a meeting in Brussels, ambassadors from the 32 Alliance member states approved this massive network upgrade and expansion project.
“The €27 billion investment will allow for the modernization of existing NATO fuel storage and distribution infrastructure,” NATO said in a statement.
“This will help establish new facilities, including pipelines, in the eastern and southeastern parts of the Alliance and ensure that NATO forces have the energy resources needed for military readiness,” the statement said.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan, whose country has faced drone incursions due to the war in neighboring Ukraine, stated that, given the threat from Russia, this project is “essential to strengthen security” on NATO’s eastern flank.
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Officials said the project would take about 25 years to implement.
NATO’s Central European Pipeline System was established in the late 1950s to supply fuel to Alliance forces on the continent during the Cold War.
This 5,300-kilometer-long network currently crosses Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, supplying fuel to 29 Alliance depots.
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