Canada moves closer to natural gas exports as ‘first-ever’ LNG carrier reaches its west coast

LNG Canada, a joint venture company comprising Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, KOGAS, and Mitsubishi, has received its inaugural liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment that will be used for testing at its export terminal in Kitimat, Canada’s British Columbia.

According to LNG Canada, the Maran Gas Roxana LNG carrier arrived at the terminal on April 2, 2025, carrying an LNG cargo that will be offloaded into the facility for equipment testing. This activity is seen as critical to the safe start-up and commissioning process ahead of the start of operations.

“We’re pleased to announce that today, in a well-coordinated effort with HaiSea Marine personnel and tugboats, BC Coast Pilots Ltd. and Pacific Pilotage Authority – Administration de pilotage du Pacifique, with support from the Canadian Coast Guard and Canada Border Services Agency, our marine team welcomed for the first time an LNG carrier to the LNG Canada facility in Kitimat, in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation,” highlighted LNG Canada.

According to the Pacific Pilotage Authority, this is the first-ever visit by an LNG carrier to Canada’s west coast. The inbound journey was described as unique, as the ship delivered a one-time cargo of LNG to cool the facility’s storage tanks.

The timeline is consistent with the JV’s recent announcement to take delivery of an LNG cargo in early April 2025 for equipment testing, with first LNG export cargoes expected to follow suit in the middle of 2025

Once completed, the LNG Canada plant is expected to be the country’s first large-scale LNG export facility. While its initial production capacity is envisaged to be 14 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) from the first two trains, this could be expanded to four trains in the future.

The facility will comprise a natural gas receiving and LNG production unit and a marine terminal able to accommodate two LNG carriers, a tugboat dock, and LNG loading lines. Additionally, there will also be LNG processing units, storage tanks, a rail yard, a water treatment facility, and flare stacks.