Washington, Oct 14 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has announced that Taiwan has agreed to purchase 30 per cent of the natural gas produced by a major Alaska pipeline project for the next 20 years and invest an additional $4.4 billion, describing the agreement as a significant boost to American energy exports and infrastructure development.
Addressing an election rally in Wasilla, Alaska, Trump said the Taiwanese commitment would help secure the commercial future of the proposed 800-mile pipeline, which his administration is promoting as one of the largest energy infrastructure projects in the United States.
“Taiwan has just agreed to buy 30 per cent of the gas coming off the pipeline for the next 20 years,” Trump told supporters.
He said the long-term purchase arrangement would provide financial certainty for the project and strengthen its prospects.
“Will also invest $4.4 billion into the project, on top of $50 billion already committed by South Korea to Alaska,” the President said.
The announcement places Taiwan and South Korea at the centre of Washington’s plans to develop Alaska’s natural gas resources and expand energy exports to Asian markets.
Trump said his administration had completed the federal permitting process for the pipeline, removing what he described as a longstanding obstacle to its construction.
“Every single permit that you need has been granted,” he said.
The President credited Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska with helping advance the project and said the administration had worked for years to bring it closer to construction.
He also linked the pipeline to his broader policy of expanding domestic energy production, attracting foreign investment and reducing energy costs for American households.
According to Trump, the project would create more than 13,000 jobs and save a typical Alaskan household more than $2,000 annually on energy bills.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who accompanied Trump to the rally, provided additional details about the negotiations with Taiwan and South Korea.
Lutnick said discussions with the Taiwanese government had taken place during the preceding week.
“All week we were working with the Taiwanese government, and they agreed to buy 30 per cent of everything produced on that line,” he said.
He also said South Korea had committed $50.1 billion towards construction of the pipeline.
“They will invest $4.4 billion on top of the Koreans to make sure this line gets built,” Lutnick said, referring to Taiwan.
The Commerce Secretary credited Trump with pushing officials to strengthen the project after its announcement at the White House.
Trump presented the agreement as part of a broader effort to bring foreign investment into the United States while expanding American manufacturing and energy production.
The President also criticised Taiwan over the historical shift of semiconductor manufacturing from the United States to the island, arguing that American trade policies had previously failed to protect domestic chip production.
He said his administration’s tariff policies were now encouraging companies to move manufacturing operations back to the United States.
The Alaska LNG project is intended to transport natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to the state’s southern coast, where it could be processed and exported to international markets.
Its location offers a potential supply route to Asian economies, including Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, where imported liquefied natural gas plays an important role in electricity generation and industrial energy consumption.
–IANS
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