Ranking
Operating LNG capacity, by start year
When the capacity running today actually started up, grouped into five-year periods from the start year Global Energy Monitor records for each train or phase. Export and import are shown separately.
This is the age of today’s fleet, not a history of everything built
Only units that are operating now are counted. 26 retired, 17 mothballed and 10 idle units also report a start year but are left out, so earlier periods are understated by whatever has since closed. Capacity is summed per unit, so a terminal with several trains appears once per train, in that train’s own period.
Operating capacity only: proposed and under-construction capacity is never added in (see capacity under construction by planned start year for what is coming). A unit with no capacity reported is counted in its period but adds nothing to the total, and is shown in its own column. 2 operating units report neither an export nor an import facility type, so cannot be placed in either chart.
Export (liquefaction)
Operating liquefaction capacity by the year each train started, in million tonnes per year.
Show these figures as a table
| Year | Mtpa |
|---|---|
| 1970–1974 | 12.5 |
| 1975–1979 | 11.3 |
| 1980–1984 | 16.6 |
| 1985–1989 | 2.5 |
| 1990–1994 | 5.1 |
| 1995–1999 | 38.6 |
| 2000–2004 | 43.2 |
| 2005–2009 | 94.7 |
| 2010–2014 | 56.5 |
| 2015–2019 | 132 |
| 2020–2024 | 49.4 |
| 2025 | 33 |
| Started | Units | Terminals | Capacity | Units with no capacity reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–1974 | 3 | 3 | 12.5 Mtpa | — |
| 1975–1979 | 3 | 2 | 11.3 Mtpa | — |
| 1980–1984 | 2 | 2 | 16.6 Mtpa | — |
| 1985–1989 | 1 | 1 | 2.5 Mtpa | — |
| 1990–1994 | 2 | 2 | 5.1 Mtpa | — |
| 1995–1999 | 9 | 6 | 38.6 Mtpa | — |
| 2000–2004 | 10 | 8 | 43.2 Mtpa | — |
| 2005–2009 | 19 | 14 | 94.7 Mtpa | — |
| 2010–2014 | 12 | 9 | 56.5 Mtpa | — |
| 2015–2019 | 41 | 19 | 132 Mtpa | — |
| 2020–2024 | 21 | 14 | 49.4 Mtpa | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 4 | 33 Mtpa | — |
127 operating export units with a start year, 496 Mtpa in the periods above. Each terminal is in the directory, filterable by status and type.
Import (regasification)
Operating regasification send-out capacity by the year each unit started, in million tonnes per year.
Show these figures as a table
| Year | Mtpa |
|---|---|
| 1965–1969 | 27.1 |
| 1970–1974 | 39.6 |
| 1975–1979 | 57.4 |
| 1980–1984 | 30.1 |
| 1985–1989 | 91 |
| 1990–1994 | 16.6 |
| 1995–1999 | 80.7 |
| 2000–2004 | 72 |
| 2005–2009 | 190 |
| 2010–2014 | 151 |
| 2015–2019 | 166 |
| 2020–2024 | 233 |
| 2025 | 36.1 |
| Started | Units | Terminals | Capacity | Units with no capacity reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965–1969 | 3 | 3 | 27.1 Mtpa | — |
| 1970–1974 | 4 | 4 | 39.6 Mtpa | — |
| 1975–1979 | 7 | 7 | 57.4 Mtpa | — |
| 1980–1984 | 3 | 3 | 30.1 Mtpa | — |
| 1985–1989 | 6 | 6 | 91 Mtpa | — |
| 1990–1994 | 6 | 6 | 16.6 Mtpa | — |
| 1995–1999 | 8 | 8 | 80.7 Mtpa | — |
| 2000–2004 | 10 | 10 | 72 Mtpa | — |
| 2005–2009 | 28 | 28 | 190 Mtpa | — |
| 2010–2014 | 40 | 39 | 151 Mtpa | — |
| 2015–2019 | 53 | 52 | 166 Mtpa | 1 |
| 2020–2024 | 67 | 59 | 233 Mtpa | 7 |
| 2025 | 12 | 11 | 36.1 Mtpa | 1 |
247 operating import units with a start year, 1190 Mtpa in the periods above. Each terminal is in the directory, filterable by status and type.
Common questions
Each answer stands on its own.
- When was most of the world’s operating LNG export capacity built?
- The largest single period is 2015–2019, when 41 units totalling 132 Mtpa started up, 27% of the 496 Mtpa of operating export capacity with a start year and a capacity reported. This counts only units still operating in the September 2025 release.
- How much operating capacity started in the last ten years?
- 215 Mtpa of export capacity and 435 Mtpa of import capacity, from units that started in 2015–2025 and are still operating. The newest period is short because the release is from 2025.
- Does this show all the capacity ever built?
- No. It shows the start-up year of units that are operating now. 26 retired, 17 mothballed and 10 idle units have a start year too but are not operating, so they are left out, and earlier periods are understated by whatever has since closed. It describes the age mix of today's fleet, not a historical series.
- Why are export and import capacity not added together?
- Export capacity is liquefaction output and import capacity is regasification send-out. They measure different things at opposite ends of the chain, so this site always shows them separately.
- Does a start year mean the whole terminal started then?
- No. It is the start year of one train or phase. A terminal that grew over time appears in several periods, once for each unit, which is why this page counts units and also shows how many terminals are behind them.