Liquified natural gas (LNG) is the liquid form of natural gas, which consists largely of methane. By cooling natural gas to minus 162 degrees Celsius, its liquified volume is reduced about 600-fold, making it practical to be transported, particularly in marine vessels.
LNG facilities generally consist of modular trains, each of which performs the entire cooling (or “liquefaction”) process. LNG facilities often have multiple trains, which are either powered by natural gas or electricity.
LNG production in North America is set to more than double by 2029, according to the US Energy Information Administration:
In BC, LNG has been produced at the Tilbury facility since 1971, and is used for transportation, shipping and overseas export. The largest facility in BC, LNG Canada Phase 1, started operation in June 2025, and produces LNG for export, primarily to Asia.
New LNG facilities planned in BC include:
- LNG Canada Phase 2
- Cedar LNG
- Ksi Lisims LNG
- Woodfibre
- Tilbury Phase 1B
- Tilbury Phase 2
The natural gas that supplies LNG facilities comes mostly from the Montney region in northeastern BC. The gas is delivered by pipeline, for example the Coastal GasLink pipeline serves the LNG Canada plant in Kitimat.
Source: BC Energy Regulator website.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The BC government provides the following data on current LNG export projects, including their estimated greenhouse gas emissions:
The BC Minister of Energy issued a policy “clarification” to the Environmental Assessment Office in March, 2025. BC’s LNG facilities must provide a “credible plan for their Project to be net-zero ready by 2030, unless it is not reasonably possible, due to circumstances beyond the control of the proponent, for the Project to be served by grid electricity by 2030.” (emphasis added)
It was reported that the previous policy was that projects must be net zero by 2030, not merely net-zero “ready”.
Electricity demand
A 2024 BC government briefing note discloses the electricity requirements of large projects in its interconnection queue, including some LNG projects:
