President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Taiwan has agreed to buy 30% of the natural gas from Alaska’s proposed liquefied natural gas project for 20 years, a commitment he said would secure the project’s success.
“Taiwan has just agreed to buy 30% of the gas coming off the pipeline for the next 20 years,” Trump told supporters at the Menard Memorial Sports Center. “That guarantees a success.”
Trump announced the arrangement while campaigning for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections. Details of the agreement were not immediately available.
Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corp. reached an earlier agreement last year with the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. to purchase LNG and invest in the pipeline. The proposed $50 billion project would supply an island that imports more than 90% of its energy and faces growing electricity demand as artificial intelligence expands.
Home to semiconductor manufacturer TSMC, Taiwan projects average annual electricity demand growth of about 2.5% through 2035, exceeding forecasts for Japan and South Korea. The island also continues to await significant new U.S. arms sales as Beijing maintains its claim to the democratically governed territory.
Trump also touted South Korean participation in the Alaska project, although Seoul has said its involvement has not been finalized.
“We’ll also invest $4.4 billion into the project, on top of $50 billion already committed by South Korea to Alaska,” Trump said.
Earlier this month, Trump warned that he would impose higher charges on South Korea and could double them if the country did not commit soon. He did not specify the charges, though South Korean media suggested he was referring to tariffs.
Glenfarne, the project’s developer, told the U.S. government this month that it aims to begin delivering gas in 2029. The White House, Taiwan’s economic affairs ministry and CPC Corp. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
