Start-up status
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 Canada is a liquefied natural gas export terminal at Kitimat on the British Columbia coast, with two trains and an initial 14 million tonnes per year. Gas handling, liquefaction and ship loading create Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas. This page explains what to look for in an industrial 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.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ingress protection | IP rating for dust and water | IP68 design |
| Fleet management | EMM and MDM support | Android 16 with EMM and MDM |
| Explosion protection | A separate certificate and marking | In progress; not issued |
| 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.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
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.
Gas arrives from the Montney Formation via the 670 km Coastal GasLink pipeline, built and operated by TC Energy.
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.
LNG Canada is a joint venture of Shell (40 percent), Petronas (25), PetroChina (15), Mitsubishi (15) and KOGAS (5), with a total investment estimated at about 40 billion dollars approved on 1 October 2018.
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.
The terminal was designed with two liquefaction trains totalling 14 million tonnes per year, with the option of two more trains to raise capacity to 26 million tonnes per year.
“Industrial” describes a phone built for plant conditions: sealed, drop-resistant and manageable at fleet scale through Android Enterprise. It does not by itself mean the phone may enter a classified area. Only a device with a valid explosion-protection certificate and marking may do that.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to be both an industrial Android phone (IP68, 4,000 mAh battery, 50 MP camera, Android 16 with EMM and MDM support) and an intrinsically safe one. Its explosion-protection certificates are in progress and have not been issued.
In LNG Canada, Kitimat. A project in start-up and possible expansion has many contractors on site, so MDM or EMM enrolment helps keep devices accounted for. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Android 16 management. Charging would be in safe areas, and coverage across a large coastal plant should be tested before rollout.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Yes by design: IP68 sealing, a 4,000 mAh battery, a 50 MP camera and Android 16 with EMM and MDM support. The explosion-protection certificates are separate and still in progress.
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.
Related guides for Kitimat LNG and for Canada.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.