Secure supplies

NATO plans kerosene pipeline across Germany

NATO is said to be planning the construction of a pipeline system through Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic.

(Bild: AFP/Ronny Hartmann)

According to a media report, NATO is planning to build a pipeline system through Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic in order to secure the supply of kerosene for fighter planes. 

According to an internal memo from the German armed forces, quoted by "Der Spiegel" on Saturday, there are "considerable problems with the sustainable supply of fuel for the forces that have to be deployed to the eastern border in the event of an emergency".

"Backbone for NATO fuel supply"
According to the memo, NATO's existing Cold War pipeline system currently ends in Bramsche in Lower Saxony and in the Ingolstadt area in Bavaria.

Internal discussions between the allies have revealed that the pipeline systems are "the backbone of NATO's fuel supply", "Der Spiegel" also quoted from a submission to the management level of the German Ministry of Defense.

Costs of around 21 billion euros expected
The mega-project is expected to cost a total of 21 billion euros. Germany will contribute more than 3.5 billion euros, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the news magazine. "For our soldiers, a reliable fuel supply is one of the essential prerequisites for their operational readiness," he emphasized.

The entire construction period is estimated at 20 to 25 years, but the pipeline itself should be largely completed by 2035, as the magazine reported. According to the documents, the route would pass under several rivers and through water and nature conservation areas. Land issues would also have to be clarified. Expropriations are also not ruled out.