Taiwan poised to import more LNG this summer

Market: Natural gas
17/04/25

Taiwan is likely to import more LNG to meet growing demand for gas-fired power generation, as its third LNG import terminal comes on line in time for summer.

Taiwan's 3mn t/yr Guantang import terminal in Taoyuan, located in the northwest of the country, has successfully received its first delivery of 63,780t of LNG from the 145,000m³ Methane Rita Andrea on 7 April, according to vessel tracker Kpler. This third importing terminal will increase Taiwan's total import capacity to 19.5mn t/yr, alleviating high utilisation at existing import terminals.

Pivoting to gas

Taiwan's CPC will require at least one more cargo each month for the new 913MW Datan unit 7 power plant, which is due to come on line in June. The third LNG import terminal would ease the importing process.

Assuming a 55pc efficiency rate, the power plant is estimated to burn about 75,260 t/month (166,780 m³/month) of LNG, equivalent to about one standard-sized cargo.

Gas-fired power generation accounted for an average of about 41pc of Taiwan's total power generation over 2023-24. Gas fired-power generation reached 29.6TWh for the second quarter of 2024, which was 10pc higher from 26.9TWh over the same quarter in 2023.

Taipower planned to install up to 14 gas-fired power plants over 2025-30, according to the firm's 2024 power development plan which was last updated on 9 August 2024 (see table).

Taiwan has a total of 21,196MW of gas-fired power capacity fuelled on LNG as of February 2025.

CPC has issued nine tenders seeking spot deliveries over the first quarter of 2025, four more than a year earlier. This latest increase in importing capacity will be crucial to support the increased reliance on gas-fired power generation, especially after Taiwan phases out its last nuclear power facility in July.

A gradual nuclear phase-out

Nuclear output has also been on a downward trajectory since 2023 and only made up 1pc of Taiwan's overall power mix over the last quarter of 2024. The 951MW Maanshan nuclear unit 2 is planned for decommissioning and will be taken fully off line on 17 May. The Maanshan unit 1 was [shut down last July](https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2581822).

Taiwan's annual LNG imports rose by 2pc on the year in 2023, and increased by 5pc on the year in 2024. Taiwan imported a total of 21.5mn t of LNG in 2024, of which 10pc of the volumes were from the US.

By Naomi Ong

Taipower gas-fired additions
Year	Units
2025	913MW Tatan unit 7
	1,300MW Taichung unit 1
	1,300MW Hsinta unit 1
	1,300MW Hsinta unit 2
2026	1,300 Taichung unit 2
	1,300MW Hsinta unit 3
2028	650MW Talin unit 1
	650MW Talin unit 2
	650MW Tunghsiao unit 4
	650MW Tunghsiao unit 5
2029	650MW Tunghsiao unit 6
	650MW Tunghsiao unit 7
2030	1,300MW Hsiehho unit 1
	650MW Tunghsiao unit 8
Taipower

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