Poland has formally taken a step toward integrating its fuel infrastructure with NATO’s strategic logistics network, signing a preliminary agreement between state pipeline operator PERN and the defence ministry to extend fuel pipelines that link into NATO’s Central Europe Pipeline System (CEPS). The arrangement is part of a broader push to bolster energy security on NATO’s eastern flank amid rising tensions with Russia.
The deal involves not only the pipeline connection but also the construction of new fuel storage facilities dedicated to supporting NATO forces. According to Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk, the cost of the effort will reach 20 billion zlotys (around $5.5 billion). He said the new lines will span approximately 300 km, calling the project “one of the largest investments in the security of the Polish state in the last 30 years.”
Poland’s strategic rationale goes beyond routine infrastructure upgrades. As a NATO member on the eastern border of the alliance, its ability to reliably supply fuel in times of crisis is critical. Analysts see the move as a response to heightened conflict risk tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as more recent drone incursions into Polish airspace.
The CEPS system, built during the Cold War, currently delivers jet fuel, diesel, gasoline and naphtha across Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, but stops hundreds of kilometers short of Poland’s border. In February 2025, NATO reportedly approved plans to extend pipeline capacity eastwards into Poland and the Czech Republic to address these gaps.
The Polish ministry emphasized that the connection “not only increases Poland’s resilience to fuel crises but also strengthens its position as a strategic NATO partner.” NATO has already committed 60 million zlotys toward planning and design work on the project.
Completion of the network extension will take several years, as design approvals, construction, and integration with NATO’s existing logistics architecture unfold.
The push also coincides with broader energy security moves across NATO’s eastern flank. Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia are working on plans to harden critical electrical infrastructure, deploying anti-drone nets and underground bunkers to shield against Russian aerial incursions. Meanwhile, military planners see this pipeline link as a force multiplier that ensures fuel flows under duress, removes bottlenecks in logistics, and augments defensive posture in a volatile region.
