TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A supertanker carrying enough crude oil to supply Taiwan for two weeks is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan early next month.
Formosa Plastics Marine Corp.’s crude tanker, the FPMC C Lord (君善輪), transited the Strait of Hormuz and is now en route to Taiwan. It is expected to dock at Yunlin County's Mailiao Port on May 6 with around 2 million barrels of Saudi crude, per Storm Media.
According to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler cited by Reuters, more than 20 vessels passed through the strait on April 18, the highest daily total since March 1. The FPMC C Lord, sailing under a Liberian flag, used this window to transit while carrying crude bound for Taiwan.
Other vessels making the passage included ships from Persian Gulf states transporting liquefied petroleum gas and refined oil products. The surge suggests operators moved quickly to capitalize on a brief easing in tensions.
Taiwan relies heavily on imported energy and is highly sensitive to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), Taiwan consumes about 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day, meaning the shipment could cover roughly two weeks of demand, per CNA.
According to Storm Media, it provides an urgent replenishment of reserves, helping to stabilize short-term supply at a time when tensions in the Middle East are disrupting crude imports. It may also help steady public sentiment, as uncertainty over fuel supplies has been one of the drivers of recent inflationary pressures.
The shipment has downstream effects, as industries such as petrochemicals, chemicals, and plastics are closely tied to crude supply for their input costs. Stable deliveries are therefore expected to have a positive impact across the broader industrial supply chain.
As of publication, the FPMC C Lord was located off the coast of southwest India according to MarineTraffic.
