A senior official from Taiwan visits the new Alaska LNG project site

A top Taiwanese official announced on Saturday that he had visited the location of a possibly massive new LNG project in Alaska this week. The Trump administration has been actively promoting the project to its Asian allies as a potential supply source.

On Tuesday, Glenfarne, an energy developer, announced that 50 companies had officially shown interest in contracts totaling over $115 billion from its Alaska LNG project, a significant infrastructure agreement supported by US President Donald Trump.

Pan Men-an, secretary-general to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, wrote on his Facebook page that he had visited Alaska’s North Slope and attended an energy conference there at the request of U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.

Approximately 1,230 kilometers (765 miles) of natural gas will be delivered from the North Slope to the Anchorage area during Phase One of the project.

“Despite the freezing temperatures, we talked enthusiastically about building resilience and responsibility as democratic partners in the face of global climate change and the challenges of authoritarianism,” Pan stated.

He stated, “In the face of trade challenges and international turbulence, we have no choice but to rise to the occasion,” without indicating if he had made any agreements during his visit.

Fang Jeng-zen, the chairman of Taiwan’s state-owned energy company CPC, was with Pan, the presidential office announced late Friday.

Taiwan’s president has stated that the CPC’s March signing of a non-binding agreement to purchase LNG and invest in the project will guarantee the island’s energy security.

Up to 20 million metric tons of the superchilled gas would be exported annually if the Alaska LNG project is constructed.

It would cut down on transit time and expenses by providing direct access to Asian markets for LNG produced in the United States, bypassing the Panama Canal and the Horn of Africa.

In an effort to curb a big trade imbalance that has infuriated Washington, Taiwan has promised to drastically increase its purchases from the US, particularly energy.