Shell-led LNG Canada greenlights Phase 2 expansion, doubling export capacity

Sept 29 (Reuters) - Shell SHEL.L and its partners on Tuesday gave the green light to a LNG Canada Phase 2 expansion in Kitimat, British Columbia, a multi-billion-dollar bet that will double the facility's production capacity to 28 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and put Canada on a trajectory to become one of the world's largest LNG exporters.

• The expansion will add two additional liquefaction trains, increasing LNG Canada's total export capacity from 14 mtpa to roughly 28 mtpa.

• Shell, which holds a 40% stake in the joint venture, said it expects to receive nearly 6 mtpa of additional LNG from the expansion, with commercial operations targeted for the early 2030s.

• A decision on the project was expected as early as October, Reuters had exclusively reported earlier this month.

• LNG Canada, a joint venture led by Shell and backed by Malaysia's Petronas PETR.KL, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corp and Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS), is Canada's first large-scale LNG export terminal and one of the country's largest private-sector investments.