Woodside, page-3

AUST Business today (Extract):
TAIWAN’S GAS PLAN TO EASE CHINA THREAT
island nation seeks energy security
Glen Norris
Taiwan will buy more liquefied natural gas from Australia in a bid to buttress its energy security against a potential attack from China as geopolitical tensions continue to simmer between the neighbouring countries.
Taiwan’s new chief representative to Australia, Douglas Yu-tien Hsu, said that as the island moved away from nuclear energy, imports of LNG from Australia were playing an important role in the transition of the tech-heavy economy.
Australia is now the biggest supplier of LNG to Taiwan as well as investing in major wind farms in the Taiwan Straits.
Mr Hsu said that unlike wind arms and nuclear power plants, LNG reserves were less vulnerable to a potential Chinese attack. Australia accounts for 37 per cent of Taiwan’s LNG supply, worth $11.6bn last year.
“We have three nuclear plants that are going to be gradually phased out,” said Mr Hsu in Brisbane. “Honestly, the cross-strait relations right now has made my government think about contingencies and one way is to address energy resilience.
“Of course (we have to ensure) the nuclear plants and the wind farms can’t be an easy target so the issue is how are we going to address those energy contingencies.
“That is one reason that Australia is now Taiwan’s largest LNG provider because if we carefully store it in undisclosed locations it will be easier. Of course in peacetime, LNG is also a good way for us to transition from nuclear to renewables.”
Australian LNG shipments to Taiwan have almost tripled to 8.1 million tonnes since 2018 and are expected to growth further as the island transitions to a decarbonised economy and phases out nuclear power by 2025.
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