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Taiwan plans new LNG import facilities
PROJECTS & TAIWAN’S CPC has started construction of a by environmentalists, but a national referendum
COMPANIES new LNG storage facility at its existing Taichung held late last year resulted in the location near the
LNG receiving terminal. Taipower site being approved by the electorate.
State-run CPC said the project is headed by Meanwhile, Taiwan Power is planning to
US construction giant Bechtel and is part of the build an LNG import terminal at Keelung. The
Phase 3 expansion plan for Taichung. When terminal will be Taiwan’s fourth LNG delivery
completed in 2026, two new storage tanks, each point and is designed to enable the conversion
with a capacity 180mn litres, will raise CPC’s of the 2,000-MW oil-burning Hsieh-ho Power Meanwhile,
annual supply capability to 10mn tonnes. Plant to a gas-fired facility.
A number of high-ranking Taiwanese offi- The proposal has also been controversial Taiwan Power is
cials attended the ground-breaking ceremony owing to its proposed locations. The first loca-
for the storage facility along with the director of tion near Waimushan was opposed because it planning to build
the American Institute in Taiwan, Sandra Oud- endangered a coral reef. The currently proposed
kirk, who expressed US support for Taiwan’s site near the port of Keelung has drawn criticism an LNG import
efforts to make the transition always from coal because of fears that it could interfere with port terminal at
to cleaner energy sources. traffic.
Oudkirk said the Taichung LNG project is Taiwan is planning to phase out its use of Keelung.
the best example of US-Taiwan co-operation nuclear power by 2025 and replace it with nat-
in the energy sector and can be celebrated as an ural gas and renewable energy sources. By that
achievement under the US-Taiwan Technology, time, 50% of power generation is predicted to
Trade and Investment Collaboration agreement. come from natural gas.
CPC is planning the construction of its third During 2021, Taiwan relied on LNG for
LNG import terminal in the Guantang Industrial 37.2% of its energy. Coal accounted for 44.3%,
District in northern Taiwan. The LNG supply is nuclear 9.55%, oil 1.83% and hydropower 1.09%.
intended to enable the expansion of Taipower’s Taiwan imports around 18mn tpy of LNG,
Datan Power Plant. The terminal is scheduled most of which is purchased through long-
to come into operation in 2023 with an initial term contracts. Its suppliers include Australia,
capacity of 3mnn tonnes per year and an option Qatar, the US and Papua New Guinea. A con-
to expand to 6mn tpy. tract for Russian LNG from Sakhalin ended
The proposed site of the plant was opposed earlier this year.
Week 29 22•July•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13
