Natural gas liquefaction dates back to the 19th century when British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday experimented with liquefying different types of gases, including natural gas.
German engineer Karl Von Linde built the first practical compressor refrigeration machine in Munich in 1873.
The first LNG plant was built in West Virginia in 1912. It began operation in 1917. The first commercial liquefaction plant was built in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1941. The LNG was stored in tanks at atmospheric pressure. The liquefaction of natural gas raised the possibility of its transportation to distant destinations.
It was in early 1950’s that the exploitation of liquified natural gas started shaping up on an industrial scale. However the evolution of LNG as a useful source as clean fuel was held back by the inability of its transportation in large scale.
A dry bulk ship named “Normatti” was converted into a 5000 m3 LNG carrier and renamed as “Methane Princess”. The first commercial transportation of LNG happened in January 1959, when Methane Princess transported her first cargo from Louisiana, USA to Canvey Island, UK. Six-seven times more cargoes were transported from Louisiana to Canvey Island to mark this as successful experimental project.