Cedigaz News Reports

Taiwan’s state-run CPC Corporation plans to increase US LNG imports to 30-33% of its total supply in 2026, more than triple the 10% recorded last year. The move is part of a bilateral trade agreement, requiring Taipei to reduce the island nation’s $111 billion trade surplus with the United States.

CPC chairman Fang Jeng-zen announced the plans at a media briefing alongside economy minister Kung Ming-hsin, who supports Taiwan’s pivot away from its traditional main LNG suppliers, notably Australia. In recent years, about one-third of Taiwan’s nearly 24 million tons of LNG imports per year has been shipped from liquefaction terminals Down Under.

The strategic shift supports Taiwan’s revised energy mix, which includes a 50% target for gas-fired power generation and the subsequent need to expand LNG regasification capacity. The latest project is the Phase III extension at CPC’s Taichung LNG terminal, which includes two new 180,000 kilolitres tanks.

In spring 2025, CPC signed a letter of intent with Alaska Gasline Development Corp to procure LNG and invest in the $44 billion Alaska LNG project. The 22 mtpa liquefaction project, backed by the US Trump administration, aims to develop and export North Slope gas resources to high-priced markets in Asia.

Glenfarne Group, lead-developer of the Alaska LNG project is targeting mechanical completion of the feeder pipeline, carrying North Slope gas, in 2028 and delivery of first gas in 2029. Construction of the actual LNG export terminal is planned for a subsequent second project phase.

The US Department of Commerce confirmed that the Taiwanese government is seeking credit guarantees of at least $250 billion to facilitate additional investment by Taiwanese enterprises, focussed on the energy sector as well as the establishment of a semiconductor supply chain in the United States. (February 10, 2026, Source: https://lngjournal.com/index.php/latest-news-mainmenu-47/item/115506-taiwan-s-cpc-aims-to-more-than-triple-us-lng-purchases)