CPC forecasts stable oil and gas supply, official says

Domestic oil and gas supplies would remain stable through September amid tensions in the Middle East, thanks to Taiwan’s diversified procurement, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lai Chien-hsin (賴建信) yesterday said. CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) has also begun planning winter procurement, and overall supply is not expected to be an issue, Lai said at an energy forum in Taipei. CPC has built a database covering more than 180 energy products from more than 40 countries, allowing it to quickly switch procurement sources when disruptions occur and to ensure stable supply through September, he said. Photo: CNA Regarding broader energy policy, Taiwan is advancing a “second energy transition” centered on energy resilience, focusing on renewable energy development, diversified supply, grid upgrades, energy conservation and storage, he added. In terms of renewable energy, Taiwan ranked third globally in newly installed offshore wind capacity last year, attracting attention from Japan, South Korea and other countries, Lai said. In addition to ongoing zone development, the government plans to launch floating offshore wind demonstration projects by the end of this year, with installed capacity projected to increase by 8 gigawatts (GW) to 10GW by 2035, beyond the original 10.93GW target for 2030, he added. Green electricity has mainly been supplied to industries through feed-in tariff mechanisms, limiting public awareness, but future policies would promote broader adoption through microgrids and energy storage systems to improve public acceptance and bolster grid resilience during extreme weather events or disasters, Lai said. Taiwan saved 770 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first quarter, equivalent to about 1.6 cargoes of liquefied natural gas, underscoring the importance of efficiency in improving energy resilience, he said. The government plans to further expand energy-saving measures through energy service company models, he added. Many industries viewed last year as the beginning of Taiwan’s energy storage era, Lai said. In addition to grid-level storage systems, the government plans to expand behind-the-meter storage, particularly as companies pursuing RE100 goals increase their purchases of renewable electricity and storage capacity, he said. The government also aims to integrate microgrids and fuel cells into rural and community applications while supporting the development of Taiwan’s domestic energy storage industry, he added. Electricity is not only a pillar of economic growth, but also a reflection of national strength, Lai said. With electricity demand expected to continue growing, the government would gradually optimize the energy system through policy and market mechanisms to ensure stable, secure and affordable supplies for industries and households, he added. SILENCING CRITICS: In addition to blocking Taiwan, China aimed to prevent rights activists from speaking out against authoritarian states, a Cabinet department said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned transnational repression by Beijing after RightsCon, a major digital human rights conference scheduled to be held in Zambia this week, was abruptly canceled due to Chinese pressure over Taiwanese participation. This year’s RightsCon, the world’s largest conference discussing issues “at the intersection of human rights and technology,” was scheduled to take place from tomorrow to Friday in Lusaka, and expected to draw 2,600 in-person attendees from 150 countries, along with 1,100 online participants. However, organizers were forced to cancel the event due to behind-the-scenes pressure from China, the ministry said, expressing its “strongest condemnation” Taiwan’s economy grew far faster than expected in the first quarter, as booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications drove a surge in exports, spilling over into investment and consumption, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday. GDP growth was 13.69 percent year-on-year during the January-to-March period, beating the DGBAS’ February forecast by 2.23 percentage points and marking the most robust growth in nearly four decades, DGBAS senior official Chiang Hsin-yi (江心怡) told a news conference in Taipei. The result was powered by exports, which remain the backbone of Taiwan’s economy, Chiang said. Outbound shipments jumped 51.12 percent year-on-year to DELAYED BUT DETERMINED: The president’s visit highlights Taiwan’s right to international engagement amid regional pressure from China President Willaim Lai (賴清德) yesterday arrived in Eswatini, more than a week after his planned visit to Taiwan’s sole African ally was suspended because of revoked overflight permits. “The visit, originally scheduled for April 22, was postponed due to unforeseen external factors,” Lai wrote on social media. “After several days of careful arrangements by our diplomatic and national security teams, we successfully arrived today.” Lai said he looked forward to further deepening Taiwan-Eswatini relations through closer cooperation in the economy, agriculture, culture and education, as well as advancing the nation’s international partnerships. The president was initially scheduled to arrive in time to celebrate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) yesterday said the US faced a choice between an “impossible” military operation or a “bad deal” with Tehran, after US President Donald Trump disparaged Iran’s latest peace proposal. Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far. Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan, but Trump was quick to cast doubt on it. “I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but