CPC signs up Bechtel for Taichung LNG third phase
Taiwan's CPC has broken ground on the third phase development of its Taichung LNG import terminal, aimed at delivering two new LNG storage tanks each with 180,000 m3 storage capacity, which will make them the largest Taiwan has ever built.
The news was announced July 15 by Taichung phase 3's lead EPC contractor Bechtel, following a formal groundbreaking ceremony held alongside CPC and fellow contractor Ming Rong Yuan Business.
Taichung LNG debuted in 2009 and currently has a nameplate regasification capacity of around 5mn metric tons/year. The third phase development should be completed by 2026, and will give CPC three LNG receiving terminals to serve LNG to Taiwanese gas power plants and industrial users, particularly in central and northern Taiwan.
CPC has also lined up a fourth development phase to increase Taichung's LNG handling capacity to 13mn metric tons/year. Once this expansion is completed in 2029, Taichung will host four new LNG storage tanks, again with 180,000 m3 capacity, as well as new regasification facilities and a jetty for receiving LNG tankers.
Boosting LNG capacity is a key part of Taiwan's national energy strategy, which aims to increase the share of LNG in power generation to 50% by 2025. More gas-fired power should allow the government to phase out nuclear generation stations, while also reducing the country's overall greenhouse gas emissions. Japan's Osaka Gas was in April awarded a front-end engineering and design and technical consulting services contract for Taichung's fourth phase expansion.
Paul Marsden, president of Bechtel Energy, said: "Today marks another important step toward meeting the increasing demand for natural gas. Together with CPC Corporation and MRY, we are delivering cleaner, greener, and safer energy to Taiwan, supporting both their energy growth and security.
"To power the needs of the world, we need LNG and storage capability which is what we are doing here on this site today, by celebrating the start of construction on the largest storage tanks ever to be built in Taiwan”.