Regional Coal: Taipower to purchase more coal from China

Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) is considering purchasing more coal from China to cut transportation costs, CAN reported Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Tu Yueh-yuan said that as a government-operated business, Taipower was heavily restricted in the amount of coal it could buy from China in the past, when cross-strait relations were tense.

The ratio at that time could not account for more than 20 percent of all the fuel it purchased from overseas, Tu said, noting that the ceiling was raised to 30 percent after the Ma Ying-jeou government took office last May as part of the administration's efforts to broaden relations with China.

Most of Taipower's coal comes from Indonesia, accounting for around 60 percent of the total, and if Taiwan buys more from China, it will result in major transport cost savings, a Taipower executive told CNA.(*)