Mitsubishi (TYO:8058) will invest in a 15% stake at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in British Columbia, Canada, Nikkei Asia reported Friday, citing a source.

This makes the conglomerate the first large-scale Japanese importing company of Canadian LNG, according to the report.

The carmaker is allotting $2.1 billion in the $14 billion LNG Canada project, equivalent to 2.1 million metric tons of the commodity out of the estimated annual production of 14 million tons, the report said.

The imports will start in July, while full commercial operation will commence by the end of the year, the report cited the source as saying.

Other investors in the project include Shell, Malaysia-based Petronas, PetroChina (HKG:0857, SHA:601857), and Korea Gas (KRX:036460), Nikkei wrote.

The move comes as Japan looks for more diverse LNG sources, according to the report.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)