Taiwan has declared its intention to participate in the natural gas development project in Alaska, USA. This project has drawn special attention from President Donald Trump, and both Japan and Taiwan have expressed interest. Observers predict that the U.S. government will demand stronger participation from our country, which it views as a 'potential customer.'
According to the Central News Agency of Taiwan and other foreign media on the 23rd, the state-owned oil company, CPC Corporation, Taiwan (CPC), signed a letter of intent for purchasing and investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) with the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) on the 20th in Taipei.
CPC Corporation, Taiwan plans to introduce Alaska gas in LNG form in the future and is considering participating in the construction process of related development infrastructure. The agreement on Taiwan's participation in the Alaska LNG project was made during a visit by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and representatives from corporations to Taiwan to attract investment.
Earlier, the Japanese government had already officially expressed interest in the Alaska gas development project. The Japanese government indicated its willingness to actively participate during Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's visit to the U.S. in February. At that time, President Donald Trump promoted it as a significant achievement for expanding U.S. LNG exports during a joint press conference with the Japanese Prime Minister.
The Alaska LNG project aims to transport natural gas, sourced from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska's North Slope region, through a newly built gas pipeline of approximately 1,300 kilometers to Nikiski, a deep-water port near Anchorage, and supply it to demand areas after liquefaction.
This is a matter that President Trump has shown particular interest in, although the project has faced significant risks and has not made progress. Consequently, key East Asian countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, hope to participate in the development process. Japan and South Korea are among the world's top 2 to 3 LNG importing countries.
Despite concerns about significant business risks, Japan and Taiwan's expression of interest in the Alaska gas project seems to be aimed at forming relationships with the Trump administration. In Taiwan's case, it has faced trade pressures since the start of the Trump administration and has struggled with serious security concerns due to ambiguous U.S. defense commitments toward Taiwan.
There are also predictions that pressure for participation in the project from our country may increase. Governor Dunleavy is scheduled to visit South Korea on the 24th and 25th to meet with An Duk-geun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, and other trade and energy officials to discuss ways for Korea to participate in the Alaska LNG project.
During his visit to South Korea, Governor Dunleavy is also reported to be coordinating individual meetings with corporations such as POSCO International, SK Innovation, and GS Energy. State-owned gas companies and private corporations hold the position that the feasibility of the project must be carefully examined.