Energy

State LNG project gets non-binding support letter from Taiwan

KDLL | By Ashlyn O'Hara

Published March 26, 2025 at 8:55 AM AKDT

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (second from left) and Alaska Gasline Development Corporation President Frank Richards (third from left) celebrate a letter of intent from Taiwanese CPC Corporation for the Alaska LNG Project.

The $44 billion Alaska LNG Project picked up a letter of intent last Thursday from Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corporation. The letter is non-binding. But project officials say it’s a first step toward a binding agreement to buy gas from the project if it's built.

In a joint press conference with Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Alaska gas is conveniently located and a source of high-quality natural gas. In a press release, CPC Corporation said Alaska would become Taiwan’s closest source of natural gas if the project is built.

“We are very interested in buying Alaska natural gas because it can meet our needs and ensure our energy security,” Ching-te said.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy called Alaska LNG the state’s flagship project. And he said it’s more than just an energy initiative.

“It is a bridge connecting the future prosperity of both Alaska and Taiwan,” he said.

If it’s built, the Alaska LNG Project would move natural gas from the North Slope to Southcentral for shipment overseas. The project includes a treatment plant on the Slope, an 800-mile pipeline and a liquefaction facility in Nikiski.

President Trump has been a vocal supporter of the project. As reported by the New York Times, some say recent foreign interest is a result of tariff threats from the White House.

Last month, Trump announced a joint venture with Japan for the project, although that did not include a letter of intent. And after Dunleavy visited the Philippines last month, the country’s ambassador to the U.S. said they plan to procure natural gas from Alaska.

To date, no company has signed firm agreements to buy gas from the project. And the state corporation that owns the project declined to provide details about existing letters of intent, including who has signed them and how many there are.

Dunleavy is still in Asia to promote the project and seek investors. His office was not able to provide the trip itinerary. But Reuters reports Dunleavy met with government officials and companies in South Korea on Tuesday. He’s traveling with officials from Glenfarne. That’s the company in talks to take over the project from the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation.