Historic Milestone: Canada Enters Global LNG Market With First Kitimat Shipment

After years of planning and construction, Canada has finally joined the exclusive club of liquefied natural gas exporters. The first cargo of LNG left Kitimat, British Columbia on June 30, 2025. About time, right? The LNG carrier GasLog Glasgow is currently chugging across the Pacific, headed for Incheon, South Korea, where it’ll dock around July 20.

Canada finally joins the LNG export club with its first shipment chugging across the Pacific to South Korea. Better late than never.

This isn’t just any random shipment. It’s a big deal. The Kitimat facility is Canada’s first large-scale LNG export terminal, built on traditional Haisla Nation territory. The project represents a partnership between LNG Canada, Haisla Nation, and various industry players. They’ve been working on this since 2018. Seven years of planning, building, and probably a fair amount of headaches.

The facility isn’t small potatoes either. It’s got an initial production capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum across two processing trains. That’s a lot of gas. And they’re already thinking bigger—the site was designed to potentially double its capacity down the road.

Behind this massive undertaking stands an impressive coalition. Shell leads the charge, joined by PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Korea Gas. Each partner supplies their own natural gas and sells their share independently. Smart business move.

So what’s the big picture? Canada’s now poised to diversify its energy exports beyond just North America. They’re breaking into Asian markets, starting with South Korea. The country’s joining the big leagues of G7 energy exporters. Better late than never.

The project partners claim they’re committed to producing “lower-carbon LNG” through fancy technologies and responsible practices. They’ve worked with First Nations and local communities throughout development. Whether they’ll actually deliver on these promises remains to be seen. The project has already generated over 300 permanent jobs at the facility, creating lasting economic opportunities for the region. This milestone reflects a $40 billion investment, making it the largest private sector venture in Canadian history. Similar to Arizona’s renewable initiatives, this project demonstrates how strategic energy policies can transform regional economies while addressing global market demands.

But for now, the milestone stands—Canada’s officially in the global LNG game.