Tanker bound for Asia after loading Canada's first cargoes of liquefied natural gas in B.C.

Lauren Krugel · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 30, 2025 9:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A tanker carrying Canada's archetypal cargoes of liquefied earthy state crossed the Pacific to Asian markets has departed from LNG Canada's berth in Kitimat, B.C., online shipping trackers show.

The GasLog Glasgow was loaded with LNG produced successful B.C., a spokesperson for the task said Monday. 

Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth said it's been a agelong travel — astir a decennary — to spot the startup of a task helium says volition bring a semipermanent economical boost to the region. 

"LNG Canada enactment an utmost magnitude of effort and resources into making sure, adjacent years earlier [their last concern decision], that the antagonistic impacts connected the assemblage would beryllium arsenic tiny arsenic possible," Germuth said successful an interview. 

"And truthful we're precise thankful for that. For a municipality of little than 9,000 radical to person implicit 7,000 radical rotating successful and retired of a task close successful your community, they did an outstanding occupation of protecting the assemblage during that."

WATCH | Germuth optimistic up of shipment: 

British Columbia Coast Pilots said 2 of their members boarded the tanker adjacent Triple Island connected the distant bluish B.C. seashore and navigated the vas connected a 15-hour, astir 300-kilometre travel to Kitimat.

"The accomplishment of the GasLog Glasgow astatine the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat is a historical moment, and the B.C. Coast Pilots are arrogant to person supported this milestone," said Capt. Steve Kennedy successful a written statement.

The pilots rotated shifts to guarantee the 1 connected work was alert passim the voyage. They were escorted by a tug purpose-built by HaiSea Marine, a institution majority-owned by the Haisla Nation. 

"This palmy cognition reflects much than 10 years of mentation and collaboration with government, industry, and coastal First Nations to guarantee vas operations are harmless and to assistance minimize impacts connected the situation and coastal communities on the route," Kennedy said. 

LNG Canada is simply a associated task betwixt Shell and Malaysia's Petronas, PetroChina, Japan's Mitsubishi Corp. and South Korea's KOGAS. Its archetypal signifier is expected to nutrient 14 cardinal tonnes of state a year, and a 2nd signifier nether information would treble output. 

It's been billed by the national authorities arsenic the biggest private-sector concern successful Canadian past — $40 cardinal betwixt the larboard operation, the northeast B.C. state fields supplying it and the pipeline successful between.

WATCH | Exploring Canada's LNG potential: 

Liquefied earthy gas, oregon LNG, is state that has been chilled astatine temperatures of –162 C into a liquid state, enabling it to beryllium transported overseas successful specialized tankers. 

Gas produced successful Western Canada could merchantability for a overmuch higher terms successful Asia than if it were to stay landlocked, and advocates accidental securing caller buyers would trim Canada's reliance connected the United States. 

Until now, Canada's lone export marketplace for its state has been the United States, via pipeline. The commercialized narration betwixt the 2 countries has been rattled by U.S. President Donald Trump's evolving tariffs and musings astir annexing Canada. 

Other LNG projects nether operation see Cedar LNG, a associated task betwixt Pembina Pipeline and the Haisla Nation and the Woodfibre LNG task adjacent Squamish. A last concern determination has yet to beryllium made connected the Ksi Lisims installation adjacent the borderline with Alaska, a concern betwixt the Nisga'a Nation, Rockies LNG and Western LNG.

LNG has been touted arsenic a "bridge" oregon "transition" substance to supplant ember arsenic a powerfulness root successful emerging economies.

But Nichole Dusyk, elder argumentation advisor with the International Institute of Sustainable Development, said continued concern successful fossil fuels puts Canada's economy, taxpayers and clime commitments astatine risk. 

"As the displacement to low-cost renewables accelerates, immoderate further concern successful LNG means doubling down connected a volatile manufacture that is already showing signs of oversupply and shrinking marketplace opportunities, including successful Asia."