NATO is analysing the extension of its pipeline system to the eastern flank, and Romania is beginning to be seen not only as a border state, but as a possible logistics hub for the entire Black Sea region, according to Chairman of the Smart Energy Association (AEI) Dumitru Chisalita.

'Russia's invasion of Ukraine has not only changed Europe's security architecture, but also the way NATO redefines its logistical priorities. Over the past three decades, the Alliance's focus has been on the interoperability of armies, military technology, and rapid troop mobility. Today, however, military planners are rediscovering an old lesson from the existence of modern wars: without fuel, even the most powerful tanks, planes or ships are not worth much. Logistics has once again become the backbone of military power,' the energy specialist writes in an analysis on Thursday.

He says that the experience of the war in Ukraine has shown that the transport of fuel by road or rail tankers is vulnerable, expensive and difficult to sustain in the event of a high-intensity conflict and, thus, oil pipelines dedicated to refined products thus become infrastructures of strategic importance again.

'Few Europeans know about the existence of the NATO Pipeline System (NPS), although it is one of the most important logistics infrastructures of the Alliance. The system does not transport crude oil, but refined fuels - kerosene for aviation, diesel and gasoline - necessary for the operation of air bases, lan units and military operations. The most important component is the Central Europe Pipeline System (CEPS), which crosses Western Europe and connects refineries, seaports, strategic warehouses and air bases. The network totals approximately 5,300 km of pipelines and serves dozens of logistics facilities,' says Chisalita.

According to him, at the level of the NATO Pipeline System, the infrastructure exceeds 10,000 km of pipelines and about four million cubic metres of storage facilities. 'It is not just a transport system. It is an infrastructure designed to allow the rapid deployment and long-term support of military operations,' the specialist says.

He adds that before 2022, the centre of gravity of NATO's logistics system was located in Western Europe, but now the threats have shifted. The eastern flank - from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea - hosts the largest concentration of Allied troops in recent decades. In Poland, Romania and the Baltic states, new battle groups have been created, and the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base is being expanded to become one of the most important NATO facilities in Eastern Europe.

'All these bases need a seemingly trivial thing, continuous and safe fuel supply. Currently, much of this logistics is based on road, rail and sea transport. In peacetime, this is enough. In the event of a major conflict, however, the vulnerability of these modes of transport becomes obvious. Hence the need to extend the pipeline network to the east.'

Chisalita mentioned, in the context, that Romania inherits an infrastructure 'built for another war'. Paradoxically, one of Romania's advantages comes from the communist period itself. During the years of the Cold War, Romania built a complex system for transporting the country's petroleum products. It served both the national economy and the needs of the army.

According to the analyst, Romania had a strategic system of pipelines and fuel depots built during the communist period, designed to ensure the supply of the army and the economy in case of war. It included pipeline networks for crude oil and petroleum products; numerous dispersed military and civilian depots; connections with refineries in the Ploiesti area, oil ports and air bases.

There were also semi-buried and underground storage facilities, 'but there is no public evidence that Romania has built a national system of underground cavities comparable to those in some NATO states or to storage facilities in saline caverns as in other countries.' However, there were tanks buried or protected by earth waves; camouflaged and dispersed military storage facilities; installations designed to withstand shelling better than surface tanks.

Chisalita predicts that part of the infrastructure still exists, but some pipes are used by CONPET; some military storage places are still in use; other sections and warehouses were decommissioned, preserved or privatised after 1990.

'That is the fundamental difference between Romania and many other states in the region, Romania does not start from scratch.'

He says that, from NATO's perspective, the most important Romanian infrastructure is the connection between the Port of Constanta and the refinery area. Oil Terminal, Petrobrazi, Petrotel and Petromidia form one of the most important energy hubs in South-Eastern Europe.

The pipelines connecting these facilities can become a foundation for a future logistics corridor intended to supply NATO bases in Romania and, later, in Bulgaria and Turkey.

Estimates indicate that between 250 and 500 km of the existing infrastructure could have strategic value after technical assessments and modernisation.

In the specialist's opinion, for integration with a NATO logistics system, the following would be necessary: new pipelines to the border with Bulgaria; direct connections with the Mihail Kogalniceanu base; new pumping stations; modern road and rail loading terminals; strategic high-capacity warehouses in Dobrogea; modern automation and monitoring systems.

Depending on the chosen technical scenario, between 300 and 400 km of new pipelines could round up the existing infrastructure. Although the costs would be considerable, there is the possibility of financing through NATO and European Union programmes dedicated to military mobility and critical infrastructure.

'The economic benefits can go beyond the military component. The discussion is often presented exclusively in terms of security. In reality, the economic impact could be just as important. The construction of such an infrastructure would generate works worth hundreds of millions of euros,' Chisalita says.

That would mean: contracts for the Romanian industry; construction and assembly works; equipment production; industrial automation; security systems; maintenance services; new jobs.

'If the state retained ownership of the pipelines and opted for concession or partnership operation, it could obtain recurring revenues of EUR 20-30 million per year, while the costs of modernisation could be borne largely from European and allied funds.

The Port of Constanta can become the energy gateway of the eastern flank. The importance of the Port of Constanta has increased spectacularly after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Freight traffic has increased, and the port has become one of the main logistics routes for Ukrainian exports and for supplying the region. Its integration into a NATO fuel transport network would give it an additional dimension. Constanta would no longer be just a large commercial port, but one of the main energy logistics hubs of the Alliance. New terminals, storage facilities, industrial facilities and logistics services could be developed around it with long-term economic effects,' the specialist says.

He argues, on the other hand, that there will also be inherent costs.

'Any strategic infrastructure automatically becomes critical infrastructure. Pipelines and storage facilities should be always protected against sabotage, cyber-attacks and hybrid threats. That requires additional investments in security, surveillance and intervention. In addition, the development of such a network can generate administrative difficulties, expropriations and internal political controversies. Those challenges should not be ignored, but neither should they be exaggerated. They are part of any major infrastructure project,' Chisalita adds.

According to him, the national interest would impose some clear conditions: the ownership of the infrastructure should remain Romanian; the use to be made through concessions or operating agreements; the modernisation should be financed mainly from external funds; Romanian companies should participate in works and maintenance; its investments also include civil infrastructure - ports, railways and roads.

'Romania has an advantage that few states in the region have simultaneously, a strategic port on the Black Sea, important refineries, a national pipeline network, an experienced energy industry and one of the largest NATO bases in Europe. These elements already exist. The challenge is to transform them into a coherent system. If that is achieved, Romania will no longer be just a beneficiary of the security offered by NATO, but one of the providers of the logistics infrastructure without which the defence of the eastern flank cannot function effectively,' says the AEI chairman. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Cristian Anghelache; EN- writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)