Almost all Taiwan's fuel needs are met by imports, and the smaller the ships that transport coal the less economical it is to import. Plentiful dockyard space is also necessary. The deepest port on the island is Kaohsiung at 14 meters, but there is very little surplus space for coal vessels because of the container-shipping industry.
而燃媒幾乎仰賴進口，運煤船愈小愈不經濟，偏偏台灣目前最深的港口高雄港吃水量只有十四米；而進口能源需要相當大的空間，高雄港在發展貨櫃之餘，根本無多餘的空間再容納運煤船。