Minister responds to blockade-induced energy apocalypse fears with vow

Taipei, Oct. 9 (CNA) Following reports that Taiwan's natural gas reserves would last less than two weeks under a Chinese blockade, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) on Thursday pledged to expand storage capacity "as quickly as possible."

Kung was responding to a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article stating that China could "force Taiwan into a total blackout" by conducting a blockade, as about 97 percent of the island's energy is imported by sea.

According to the WSJ, a series of wargames run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic Studies showed that, if blockaded, Taiwan's liquefied natural gas (LNG) would run out "in under two weeks," while its coal reserves would be exhausted after seven weeks.

Asked about the issue at a legislative hearing by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵) on Wednesday, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said that "large amounts of fuel and ammunition storage are necessary for combat readiness."

According to Koo, a NT$113.2 billion (US$3.71 billion) "special budget" earmarked by the Ministry of National Defense emphasizes "resilience," with NT$3.2 billion planned for purchasing war-preparedness fuel from CPC Corp., Taiwan, which will also provide facilities to store the reserves.

Koo said that future storage would be dispersed to "strengthen resilience" and ensure "combat sustainability."

The special budget totaling NT$550 billion was passed by the Cabinet in September but still requires approval from the Legislature, where it is currently under review.

On Thursday, Kung told local media that while increased storage is important for energy security, Taiwan has "backup resources," including a standby coal-fired plant, renewable energy, and hydroelectric power.

Kung added that Taiwan is "actively developing" renewable energy sources, with the aim of having them account for 20 percent of the nation's electricity generation by the end of 2026.

In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for 83.2 percent of Taiwan's electricity generation (39.3 percent coal and 42.4 percent natural gas), compared with 4.2 percent for nuclear energy, 1.1 percent for pumped storage, and 11.6 percent for renewable energy, according to Energy Administration figures.