Taiwan heavily relies on coal for its power generation needs. Before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan’s energy provider, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), was a significant purchaser of Russian coal to meet its energy demands. However, Taipower announced in 2022 that it would stop importing Russian coal, with the last shipment arriving in September of that year. Despite this decision, private firms have stepped in to fill the gap, leading to a 31% increase in coal imports to Taiwan over the past year compared to the previous 12-month period. Russian coal, despite being cheaper, is of lower quality than the coal Taiwan typically imports from its primary supplier, Australia.
Reports from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Taiwan’s Environmental Rights Foundation, and Germany’s Ecodefense highlight that Taiwan has imported USD 3.5 billion worth of Russian coal since the invasion of Ukraine began, with imports rising significantly in the last year.
Following the EU and G7 sanctions on Russian fossil fuel exports, including coal starting in August 2022, Russia has adjusted by lowering prices to attract new markets and sustain export volumes. This has led to changes in global coal trade patterns, making Taiwan the fifth largest importer of Russian coal.
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Estimates show that Taiwan’s per capita spending on Russian coal has been the second highest globally, with each citizen spending approximately USD 147 since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine.
In addition to coal, Taiwan’s imports of Russian oil products have surged, increasing by over 200% in the past year. Since the invasion, Taiwan has imported USD 2.9 billion worth of Russian oil products, contributing approximately USD 600 million in tax revenues to the Kremlin.
CREA has called on Taiwanese companies to cease purchasing Russian coal and has urged them to outline specific plans and timelines to their global shareholders and investors to achieve this objective.