Bloomberg: NATO’s utilization of a key pipeline disrupts civilian jet fuel supply

(SeaPRwire) –   Increased military demand has reportedly displaced commercial deliveries moving through the CEPS network

Bloomberg has reported that heightened military usage has placed stress on the critical NATO jet fuel pipeline, the Central Europe Pipeline System (CEPS), disrupting commercial fuel deliveries.

This Cold War-era pipeline, which traverses Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, has long been approved for civilian use and has become a key part of the EU’s fuel market. Though the pipeline mainly transports jet fuel, it can also carry diesel and other petroleum products.

Orkhan Rustamov, CEO of trading firm Alkagesta, told Bloomberg on Monday that military shipments still hold priority when using the pipeline, and NATO has been actively utilizing it over the last two months. This heightened usage has reportedly stressed the pipeline system, especially in Rotterdam, displacing some civilian jet fuel supplies and reducing deliveries to major European airports including Frankfurt, Germany’s key aviation hub.

Independent observers note that alongside deploying warplanes to carry out strikes on targets in the region, the Pentagon has also been actively running military cargo flights into the Middle East. These cargo flights likely delivered extra equipment and personnel even as hostilities waned following a temporary ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.

The conflict with Iran has severely stressed global flight networks, leading to a spike in jet fuel prices and prolonged disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz — a critical shipping lane that transports roughly 20% of the world’s oil. The International Energy Agency has warned that market volatility will rise, and jet fuel shortages could occur within six weeks if disruptions persist. Multiple airlines have announced schedule cuts in a bid to mitigate the harm caused by the Middle East crisis.