Groups Raise Concerns About Fourth LNG Terminal 三接工程頻出包 環團:四接還要繼續?

The third LNG terminal in under construction in Taoyuan's Guanyin District. There are also plans to build a fourth terminal on reclaimed land at Keelung's Hsieh-ho Power Plant. Environmental groups say the third terminal construction has run into many problems and question why the fourth one is going ahead.

According to recent reports, half of the 30 caissons placed by CPC Corporation for the third LNG terminal have ruptured. The concrete has peeled off, exposing steel reinforcing bars. Environmental groups say underwater construction harms the marine ecology. They also had concerns about the plan to build the fourth LNG terminal on reclaimed land at Keelung's Hsieh-ho Power Plant.

Pan Chong-cheng, Chair, Taoyuan Coastal Ecological Conservation Assoc.: “Is it still necessary to reclaim land to build the fourth terminal? Under the current energy policy, there are no solutions whatsoever for those industrial issues related to natural gas. Does the natural seacoast have to be destroyed?”

The groups say this is not the first problem with the third terminal. In December 2019, three workers were killed and four were injured when a caisson sank at the Port of Taipei. In March 2020 and again in November 2020, a work vessel ran aground, destroying 5,800 and 110.29 square meters of algal reefs, respectively. The Control Yuan even ordered corrections. CPC Corporation said the caissons were placed and inspected according to specifications.

Chang Ray-chung, Spokesperson, CPC Corporation: “The quality of caissons during the manufacturing process conformed to national standards. During the entire temporary storage or dragging and dropping processes, there were some collisions that caused some concrete to come off.”

CPC Corporation said the damaged caissons at the third terminal are an isolated incident and it will rectify shortcomings. It will also ask an impartial third party to confirm and verify that the completed caissons meet standards in terms of strength and engineering specs. It guaranteed there won't be any negative impact on the environment.

日前傳出中油第三天然氣接收站，放到港區北防波堤段水下的30個沉箱，有半數、達15座本體結構破裂，混凝土剝落、鋼筋外露。環保團體表示，海事工程極易傷害海洋生態，並質疑協和電廠附屬工程第四天然氣接收站，還要繼續填海造地嗎？

桃園海岸生態保育協會理事長潘忠政質疑：「四接現在還一定要填海造陸嗎？我們現在的能源政策，包括天然氣的這些相關的工業問題，真的沒有任何解決的辦法，非要破壞自然海岸不可嗎？」

環團表示三接不是第一次出包，2019年12月台北港沉箱貯存作業，發生3死4傷工安事故；2020年3月和11月工作船擱淺，導致5800和110.29平方公尺藻礁受損，甚至遭到監察院糾正。針對沉箱破損問題，中油回應都有按照規範施作、驗收。

中油發言人張瑞宗表示：「沉箱製作過程，它的品質符合國家標準，在整個暫存或者拖放的過程裡面，有發生一些碰撞，導致一些混凝土剝落。」

針對環團質疑三接工程接連出包，四接還要繼續嗎？中油表示，這只是單純三接沉箱破損問題，後續會做補強，也會經過第三方公正單位做最後確認和驗證，完工的沉箱無論是強度或工程規範都可以符合要求，不會對環境造成負面影響，無需過度擔憂。