Taipower could break even this year: Chairman

Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) swung from losses to profits between May and July and the "possibility of breaking even this year is high," chairman Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生) said Monday.

Tseng attributed the improvement mainly to changes in fuel prices and exchange rates, noting Brent crude oil currently has not exceeded US$70 per litre and natural gas is about US$12 per million British thermal units (BTU).

According to Taipower's website, the Taiwanese state-owned energy company posted a pre-tax loss of NT$15.5 billion in the first half of 2025, a sharp drop from NT$60.2 billion in losses posted in the same period in 2024.

Tseng also said that although the Taiwanese government injected NT$250 billion into Taipower over the past three years, this "cannot offset the accumulated losses."

The company's accumulated losses of more than NT$400 billion stemmed from "shouldering responsibility so that inflation does not soar," Tseng said.

"Some countries accept government subsidies," he said.

The path to improving the company's finances "is related to decisions made by government and the Legislature," Tseng said.