Taiwan MOTC to Invest NT$57.2 Billion in Port Development, Aiming to Boost Container Throughput in 5 Years

(Central News Agency, reporter Huang Chiao-wen, Taipei 12th) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) plans to invest NT$57.2 billion to promote the overall planning and development plan for international and domestic commercial ports. The timeline is from 2027 to 2031, focusing on four directions including deepening port infrastructure. It is estimated that the container volume of Taiwan's port group will increase from 13.55 million TEUs in 2025 to 15.5 million TEUs by the end of 2031.

To enhance the international competitiveness of Taiwan's commercial ports, MOTC Minister Chen Shih-kai instructed that the "International and Domestic Commercial Port Overall Planning and Development Plan" for the next five years should be a forward-looking and strategic development blueprint. In particular, in response to the global trend of green shipping routes and sustainable port development, Taiwan's international commercial ports should prepare in advance, establish and provide bunkering services for emerging fuels (such as LNG), attract green shipping routes to call, and consolidate their position as a global shipping hub.

Han Chen-hua, Director of the Department of Shipping and Aviation at the MOTC, stated at a press conference that the plan takes four core directions: deepening port infrastructure, improving service functions, creating diversified development, and building sustainable and resilient ports. It will invest NT$57.2 billion to create smart, safe, sustainable, and resilient international and domestic commercial ports. The plan was submitted to the Executive Yuan at the end of May.

Of this, NT$47.7 billion will be used for 34 construction projects at seven major international commercial ports: Keelung Port, Taipei Port, Taichung Port, Kaohsiung Port, Anping Port, Su'ao Port, and Hualien Port. The remaining NT$9.5 billion will be used for 73 construction projects at four domestic commercial ports: Budai Port, Penghu Port, Kinmen Port, and Matsu Port.

Han said that in the next five years, the international commercial ports will aim to "become diversified ports with new value through sustainable and smart upgrades," focusing on three key areas. The first is to strengthen the core container hub and continue to expand the handling capacity of the container hub. This includes the upgrade plan for Kaohsiung Port's Third and Fifth Container Centers, which are expected to accommodate 18,000 TEU and 24,000 TEU ultra-large container vessels by 2027 and 2029, respectively.

The second is to revitalize waterfront tourism in port cities. In line with the booming cruise industry in Keelung, the land of the Weihai military camp will be released for BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) investment attraction to bring in a mixed-use commercial complex. This will be connected with the development of the back areas of Keelung Port's East 4 and East 5 wharves to form a waterfront leisure corridor. The third is to build smart and sustainable green ports. Land reclamation projects using cofferdams will be carried out at Taipei Port, Taichung Port, and Kaohsiung Port to serve as development land for new energy sources such as biofuels, LNG, methanol, hydrogen, and ammonia. At the same time, AI and smart technology application services will be actively introduced to improve port operation and management efficiency.

Han stated that last year, the container volume of Taiwan's port group was approximately 13.55 million TEUs, and the international route passenger traffic was 1.16 million. It is predicted that by the end of 2031, these figures will grow to 15.5 million TEUs and 1.4 million passengers, respectively.

Regarding domestic commercial ports, Han pointed out that the goals are to maintain passenger and cargo functions, meet public needs, and support tourism development. The three key development priorities include creating an international waterfront bay area, optimizing outlying island passenger services, and expanding cargo facility capacity.

Among these, following the relocation of the Penghu Jinlongtou military camp, the released land will be used for investment attraction and development. Combining diverse uses such as urban commerce, history and culture, coastal tourism, and port shipping, it will attract operational projects like hotels, restaurants, markets, arts and culture, and marine recreation. This aims to transform Magong Port into an international-level tourism seaside park that provides both maritime transport and diverse tourism services for passengers.

Han noted that last year, the overall passenger traffic at domestic commercial ports was about 3.1 million, and cargo volume was about 4.28 million metric tons. It is predicted that by the end of 2031, these figures will grow to 5.3 million passengers and 5.3 million metric tons. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150612