U.S. President Donald Trump said at a midterm campaign rally in Wasilla, Alaska, on Oct. 13 that Taiwan had agreed to purchase 30% of the gas from the Alaska natural gas pipeline project. He said, 「Taiwan just agreed to buy 30% of the gas from the pipeline over the next 20 years, which guarantees the project will succeed.」
According to CNBC, Trump also referred to a $4.4 billion investment and said South Korea had committed $50 billion, though Seoul has continued to say its participation has not been finalized.
Taiwan says CPC plans to buy 6 million tonnes a year
Taiwan’s economic authorities said in a news release on Oct. 14 that CPC Corp. plans to purchase 6 million tonnes of Alaska liquefied natural gas a year after production starts and participate in project development, with estimated investment of up to $4.4 billion.
The statement said CPC signed a letter of intent in Taipei in March 2025 covering Alaska LNG sales and investment. After nearly a year and a half of talks and evaluation, it said, the company had made major progress with the U.S. developer. If the project proceeds on schedule, it could begin supplying Taiwan as early as 2032.
The release did not mention Trump’s figures of 30% or 20 years. It said specific investment arrangements, equity stakes and related terms would be handled through further negotiations and commercial contract procedures. CPC still needs to complete internal project research and budget approval procedures.
The authorities also said Alaska LNG could reach Taiwan directly عبر the Pacific route, helping diversify shipping routes and reduce geopolitical supply risk.
Developer filing says no long-term export contracts have been signed
In a semiannual report submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy on Oct. 1, Alaska LNG Project LLC, a unit of Glenfarne, said it had 「not entered into any long-term contracts related to long-term LNG exports」 and would be required to report any such contract to the department within 30 days after signing.
The report listed other potential buyers, all still at a preliminary or non-binding stage:
- PTT of Thailand: a preliminary cooperation agreement for 2 million tonnes a year over 20 years
- JERA of Japan: a non-binding letter of intent for 1 million tonnes a year
- POSCO International of South Korea: a heads of agreement for 1 million tonnes a year
- TotalEnergies: a non-binding letter of intent for 2 million tonnes a year
Project split into two financially separate phases
Glenfarne has divided the project into two financially independent phases. Phase one covers a roughly 739-mile pipeline, with a target of mechanical completion in 2028 and first gas in 2029.
The liquefaction plant, gas treatment plant and export facilities in Nikiski are part of phase two. The report did not provide a completion timeline for that phase. It also cited an earlier filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, saying the full project would take about six years from construction to operations.
8 Star Alaska, the entity holding the project’s federal permit, is owned 75% by Glenfarne and 25% by the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., or AGDC.