Taiwan details Alaska LNG plan after Trump’s $4.4bn announcement

Taiwan’s economy ministry has outlined plans to buy six million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year from an Alaska project and invest up to $4.4bn in its development. The statement follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a much more specific purchase commitment, but leaves some of the terms open.

According to an ANP/Bloomberg report published by Nieuws.nl, Trump told a campaign rally in Alaska that Taiwan would buy 30% of the project’s gas for 20 years and invest $4.4bn. Reuters also reported his announcement of the 30% figure. The ANP/Bloomberg report said Taiwan had not confirmed his remarks when it was published.

In a statement dated 14 October, Taiwan’s economy ministry said state-owned energy company CPC plans to buy six million tonnes of Alaska LNG annually once production begins and participate in the project’s development. It described the investment as an estimate of up to $4.4bn. Specific arrangements, including any ownership stake, are to be addressed through further negotiations and commercial contract procedures.

The planned annual purchase equals 30% of the project’s planned export capacity of 20 million tonnes a year, as stated by developer Glenfarne. That calculation concerns prospective output, not gas already being produced. The ministry’s statement does not specify a 20-year purchase period.