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Global helium shortage offers threats and opportunities

Most of us are familiar with helium as the stuff that makes balloons float at parties, yet currently it is a resource under severe threat. Helium is the second most abundant element in the Universe, but on Earth it’s relatively rare, found trapped underground with natural gas and in the atmosphere, where it escapes into space.

??Why is there a shortage of Helium?

Put simply demand has grown and is outstripping supply. The rise of technology use in everyday life and the rapid economic growth of China and other Asian economies have contributed to a surge in demand for a host of natural resources, helium included. But it is further complicated by American politics. Back in 1996 the US government decided to sell off its helium stockpile, which it had been building for decades for national security reasons. This has kept the price of helium artificially low and more importantly allowed supply to be artificially high. The stockpile is expected to run out in the next 12 months and when that happens the market will be thrown in chaos.

Of course keeping party balloons floating is relatively minor use of helium, it is used extensively in medicine, industry and laboratory work and these are the areas most at risk. Helium is currently essential for MRI scanners, meteorological balloons, semi-conductor microchips, welding and laboratory chromatography, as diverse but essential a group of activities as you’ll find.

The helium shortage is a very real threat, however it isn’t unexpected, industry has known about this for a while now so steps are being taken. Firstly, in America, Senators have tabled the Helium Stewardship Act that attempts to bring some control to the upcoming crisis, however this act has not yet been passed and there is no guarantee it will be. Other countries have developed helium extraction, notably Algeria, Qatar and Australia, however they still fall way short of consumption demands. Much work has been done on providing alternatives to helium for use in laboratory chromatography. Hydrogen can be substituted for example however historically it has been rejected due to safety concerns over its storage. These concerns are being addressed now by UK companies, like Peak Scientific, who have developed ways of producing hydrogen on demand, safely, in laboratory conditions.

Like oil and natural gas, helium is a finite resource. As the population of the world continues to grow demand for these resources will grow too. This poses a threat to these resources but it also provides opportunities for countries, companies and individuals to meet these demands or provide alternatives.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John McCallum .