LNG Canada has produced its first cargo of liquefied natural gas for export, marking a pivotal moment for one of the country’s largest private-sector infrastructure investments.
“LNG Canada has safely achieved its first production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and remains on track to load first cargoes by the middle of 2025,” said an LNG Canada spokesperson.
The facility is the first large-scale LNG project in Canada with direct access to the Pacific, offering shorter shipping routes to Asia compared to U.S. terminals farther south.
The Gaslog Glasgow, an LNG tanker currently west of Haida Gwaii, is approaching the Kitimat terminal and will be the first vessel to arrive for export purposes. In April, the Maran Gas Roxana docked at the terminal carrying LNG used solely for equipment testing. That shipment was offloaded to cool pipes and storage tanks, a necessary step before commercial operations can begin.
Construction of LNG Canada’s Phase 1 began in October 2018 following a final investment decision that month. The Coastal GasLink pipeline, which will feed natural gas to the terminal, became fully operational in November last year. The Kitimat terminal entered its start-up and commissioning stage in spring 2025. Cooldown operations started in late March, leading to the production of the first LNG cargo on June 23.
The $40-billion project holds a 40-year export licence and is designed to produce up to 14 million tonnes of LNG annually. A proposed Phase 2 expansion could double that to 28 million tonnes annually, though a final decision on that phase will depend on factors such as global competitiveness, cost, emissions and stakeholder priorities.
LNG Canada is a joint venture of five global energy companies—Shell, PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and KOGAS. The facility was built by the JGC and Fluor Joint Venture, employing more than 9,000 workers at peak construction.
LNG Canada is expected to employ approximately 350 to 500 people during full operations at the Kitimat facility.
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