Kaohsiung's Seventh Terminal Accused of Profiteering, Port Company: Administering According to Law

Mirror Media reported today that the pier project for the Kaohsiung Port Intercontinental LNG Terminal (Seventh Terminal), undertaken by a joint team of Dongpi Construction and Malaysian company Gamuda Engineering for NT$25.5 billion, has been accused of multiple irregularities during construction, including changing the caisson construction site. The Taiwan International Ports Corporation's Kaohsiung Port Branch is alleged to have illegally profited Dongpi Construction by NT$1 billion. In response, the Taiwan International Ports Corporation today issued a four-point statement clarifying and emphasizing that the overall construction plan and caisson manufacturing construction plan for the project have been approved according to contract regulations, submitted by the contractor, reviewed by the supervisory unit, and officially approved by the Kaohsiung Port Branch. There is no such thing as "unauthorized application," "breach of contract," or "profiteering." The "Kaohsiung Port Intercontinental LNG Terminal Construction Project"'s "Pier and Connecting Road (Bridge) Project" is a major national energy infrastructure project, crucial for the gas supply to the Talin Power Plant's gas-fired units and the stable energy supply in the southern region. The tender was announced on May 8, 2025, awarded on June 27, 2025, and commenced on August 15 of the same year. The port company pointed out that Dongpi Company's "Overall Construction Plan" and "Caisson Manufacturing Construction Plan" both included planning for "caisson manufacturing" and "caisson towing and placement," and were reviewed and approved by Sinotech Engineering Consultants and approved by the Kaohsiung Port Branch. The port company stated that this project is an engineering project handled by the port company on behalf of CPC Corporation. Dongpi Company's relevant construction plans, formulated according to contract regulations, include the use of water and land areas in Kaohsiung Port and Taipei Port as construction sites. If Dongpi Company uses both Kaohsiung Port and Taipei Port's land and water areas simultaneously, it must sign a lease agreement with the port company and pay relevant rents. The port company stated that as of April 1, the project progress is ahead of schedule, with no delays. Regarding whether the construction machinery and equipment are sufficient, the Kaohsiung Port Branch will continuously review the construction progress and ask the construction contractor to propose relevant countermeasures according to contract regulations. The port company emphasized that the Kaohsiung Port Branch will fully cooperate with and respect relevant investigations, uphold the principle of not wronging the innocent and not letting off the guilty, actively cooperate with the competent authorities in conducting investigations and audits, and provide necessary information and explanations based on the principles of administering according to law and information transparency. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150407