CPC clarifies Tongxiao-Datan pipeline and Third LNG Terminal do not conflict, strengthening energy security

Taiwan’s energy transition policies and natural gas infrastructure development have recently come back into the public spotlight. In response to criticisms from environmental groups regarding the China Petroleum Corporation’s (CPC) plan to build a second subsea gas pipeline between Tongxiao and Datam, which they argued exposed contradictions in the proposal for the Third Natural Gas Receiving Station, CPC issued a formal statement on the 19th. CPC emphasized that the second Tongxiao-Datam subsea pipeline and the Third Natural Gas Receiving Station serve entirely different functional purposes and that there is no policy contradiction or duplication of construction between the two. The core strategic rationale for advancing the second subsea pipeline is to further strengthen Taiwan’s existing natural gas supply network, enhance mutual backup capabilities among receiving stations and main trunk lines, and thereby comprehensively consolidate the resilience and security of the nation’s overall energy supply.

The controversy stemmed from media reports that the Tongxiao-to-Datam subsea gas pipeline plan has re-entered the environmental impact assessment review process. Facing questions from environmental groups at the review venue—who argued that with the existence of the second subsea pipeline, the original Third Receiving Station plan, which had been pitched as an urgent measure for national survival, appeared unjustified, and who even questioned whether the Third Receiving Station proposal was a lie—CPC clarified that the deployment of natural gas infrastructure cannot be judged solely by the presence or absence of a single line. It must be examined from the macro perspective of the national gas supply safety net. As the share of natural gas in Taiwan’s power generation continues to rise in recent years, ensuring stable electricity supply requires backup mechanisms for gas pipelines and large-scale storage facilities at receiving terminals, which play distinct yet complementary key roles.

A deeper look at CPC’s energy infrastructure layout reveals that both the Tongxiao Power Plant and the Datam Power Plant are critical power generation hubs in northern Taiwan, bearing the heavy responsibility of maintaining the stable operation of the northern power grid. While existing pipelines can transport natural gas from the south or central regions to the north, in the face of extreme weather, earthquakes, or other natural disasters, or in the event of sudden damage or maintenance requirements on a single pipeline, the lack of sufficient alternative routes could severely impact electricity supply in the north. The planning and construction of the second subsea gas pipeline are designed to add a "safety belt" to the existing supply foundation, providing dual-loop backup capability for natural gas transmission between Tongxiao and Datam, thereby significantly reducing the risk of large-scale blackouts caused by single-pipeline failures.

On the other hand, the focus of the Third Natural Gas Receiving Station project is on increasing Taiwan’s overall capacity for receiving and storing imported natural gas. As the proportion of gas-fired power generation gradually increases domestically, Taiwan’s demand for imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) is pressing. The existing Taichung and Yongan receiving stations will face saturation pressures in their operational capacities in the future. The Third Receiving Station is not merely a matter of adding a pipeline; it includes large storage tanks and vaporization facilities, serving as the fundamental solution to the long-term supply-demand imbalance of natural gas in northern Taiwan. In other words, the Third Receiving Station addresses the questions of "whether there is enough gas coming in" and "whether it can be stored locally," while the second subsea pipeline addresses the question of "how to ensure leak-proof, mutually supportive transmission of gas to various power plants after it arrives." The two projects fulfill their respective roles and complement each other in the national energy security strategy.

Viewed against global energy development trends and Taiwan’s geographical particularities, strengthening energy supply resilience has become one of the core issues of national security. As an island economy with an independent power grid that is highly dependent on natural gas imports, any interruption in transmission or storage links could incur enormous economic and social costs. CPC’s swift clarification of the environmental groups’ doubts is not only intended to defend the legitimacy of specific engineering projects but also to clearly explain to the public the overall blueprint for national energy transition and infrastructure construction. On the path toward net-zero carbon emissions and the transition to green energy, natural gas plays a crucial role as a bridging energy source, and a solid, secure, and highly resilient gas transmission network is the most important cornerstone ensuring that this energy transition proceeds smoothly.

(Source: Central News Agency)