The nation's energy demand rose for a third month in September because of increased demand from manufacturers.
Energy consumption climbed 6.4 percent from a year earlier to the equivalent of 2.1 million barrels a day of oil, the Bureau of Energy said in an e-mailed report. Demand rose 1.5 percent in August and 7.6 percent in July.
"Energy consumption was relatively high in September," Wei Juen-shen(韋潤生), a planning official at the bureau's Taipei office, said by telephone yesterday. "The electronics and chemicals industries were the two main drivers."
The nation's power demand climbed 3.3 percent to 21.2 billion kilowatt-hours in September. Industrial and energy companies, which accounted for 53 percent of electricity demand, used 5.4 percent more power in the month, the energy bureau said.
During the first nine months of the year, energy consumption rose 3.9 percent to the equivalent of 537.7 million barrels of oil.
Taiwan bought 98 percent of its energy needs from overseas in September. Crude oil imports fell 19 percent from a year earlier to 24.8 million barrels in the month, the bureau said.
Coal imports climbed 9.8 percent to 5.79 million tonnes in September. The island's purchases of liquified natural gas (LNG) increased 9.8 percent to 960.6 million cubic meters, according to the bureau. LNG accounted for 97 percent of gas supply.
In the first nine months of the year, imports of crude oil dropped 3 percent to 268.5 million barrels, and LNG purchases soared 9.7 percent to 8.2 billion cubic meters.
Coal imports gained 2.9 percent to 48.2 million tonnes.
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