Expansion plans
Further trains have been proposed as a possible second phase, so construction and commissioning activity may continue.
Kitimat was planned and built by Alcan in the 1950s, and Rio Tinto's aluminium smelter is still the main employer; other local activity includes engineering, metal fabrication and imports of methanol and condensate. Gas handling, liquefaction and ship loading create Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof smartphone for LNG Canada, Kitimat, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for LNG Canada, Kitimat: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ex marking | Group, category, protection concept, gas group, temperature class | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 (target) |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC matched to the area drawing | IIC (target) |
| Temperature class | T-class below the ignition temperature of the gas | T4, 135 °C (target) |
| Where it applies | LNG Canada, Kitimat: LNG liquefaction trains, LNG storage and loading, Gas receipt from pipeline | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Kitimat LNG. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Further trains have been proposed as a possible second phase, so construction and commissioning activity may continue.
The plant produced its first LNG and shipped its first cargo in June 2025; the second train was reported to begin operating in November 2025.
LNG carriers sail up and down the Douglas Channel to the port of Kitimat to load, mainly for Asian markets, using a new carrier terminal connected to the liquefaction and storage plant.
The plant produced its first LNG and shipped its first cargo in June 2025, the second train started in November 2025 and by 23 February 2026 it had shipped 50 cargoes.
Gas arrives via the 670 km Coastal GasLink pipeline built by TC Energy, with an initial capacity of about 2.1 billion cubic feet a day and potential expansion to about 5 billion.
The second phase is an 18 billion dollar liquefaction and storage plant in the port of Kitimat, where natural gas is cooled to liquid and stored awaiting shipment.
“Ex-proof” is shorthand for equipment carrying an explosion-protection marking (the Ex mark) that matches the area it enters. The marking states the protection concept, gas or dust group and temperature class, and it must be backed by a certificate issued by a recognised body, so a phone described as Ex-proof should come with a certificate number you can check.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to carry the marking II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. That is a target: certification is in progress, no certificate has been issued, and SAMS will publish the certificate numbers when they exist.
In LNG Canada, Kitimat. Natural gas is the hydrocarbon here, and a marking check would compare the gas group and temperature class on the device with the operator's area data for liquefaction and gas receipt. The IS-04Z1 target marking is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, subject to certification and the operator's acceptance.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. It becomes a marking only when the certificate is issued; until then it is a design target.
Likely candidates are lng liquefaction trains, lng storage and loading, gas receipt from pipeline, marine loading jetty. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Typically liquefaction trains, refrigerant (propane, ethylene or mixed refrigerant) storage, LNG tanks and loading, flare and gas treatment areas. Gas groups include methane (IIA) and possibly propane or ethylene. Confirm zone drawings with the plant operator.
LNG plants use cryogenic fluids, so cold surfaces, ice and moisture are concerns around process areas. Choose sealed devices and confirm operator guidance on temperature class and ingress protection.
Gas arrives from the Montney Formation through the 670 km Coastal GasLink pipeline, built and operated by TC Energy. A device used at gas receipt would be in a hydrocarbon gas area, so the operator's classification and gas group data should be reviewed. Ask the plant owner for the relevant records.
Other guides for Kitimat LNG, other places in Canada, and the pages behind them.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.