Helium

Helium is a strategic and highly sought-after resource.

Its extreme rarity on earth and its unique physico-chemical properties make it a highly-sought resource which is vital for various industries. 

Why Helium is a strategic resource?

helium production sites limited and concentrated

A restricted number
of production sites

Helium production sites are limited and concentrated in a minority of countries, particularly in the United States, Qatar, Algeria, Australia, Russia and Poland.

helium key resources

Uses booming

Helium is a key resource essential for many industries, such as new technologies. The number of uses keeps increasing every day!

importation helium

Unequally distributed production

The places of consumption do not match with production areas. As a result, Western Europe imports all its helium needs at high energy costs.

helium has unique properties

No effective substitute

Helium has unique properties that most of users have so far not been able to substitute.

helium synthesis is complex and inefficient

Unsustainable synthesis

Helium synthesis is possible but complex and inefficient to represent a viable alternative.

helium is found with nature gas

Dependency to natural gas

The majority of helium reserves, mostly discovered by chance, are a by-product of natural gas fields.

Helium in figures

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This is in % the helium price increase over the last 5 years.
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This is the current global demand for helium in millions of m³.
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This is the current global production of helium in millions of m³.
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This is the % of helium imported into Western Europe.
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This is the maximum number of days of transport before helium leakage occurs.
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This is the temperature in °C of helium liquefaction, the lowest that exists!

The worldwide helium market

Consommation

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Production

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Helium price (€/m³)

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Source: IHS Markit

helium physical properties

Helium is an environmentally friendly gas that does not participate in greenhouse effect and has unique and exceptional physical properties.

Inert

It does not react and does not alter the material with which it is in contact.

Lightweight

More than air and therefore the ideal gas for lifting airships and festive balloons.

Poorly soluble

This property makes it very effective for deep-sea diving.

Very low liquefaction temperature

This gives it the quality of excellent cooler, especially for medical MRIs, cryogenics or superconducting magnets.

Non-flammable

It can be produced and used safely whatever is the context.

Non-toxic

It is a neutral gas that can be used for many applications without any risk.

Volatile

It is a tiny molecule that escapes through any crack, making it ideal for leak detection.

helium uses

Often unkown, they are multiple ways of using helium.

why 45-8 ENERGY has selected germany?

Through the Guhlen project, it is a substantial opportunity for 45-8 ENERGY to supply strategic resources to the high-demand area of the eastern part of Germany, while contributing to the energy and environmental transition. The Guhlen project is a first step for the company in the area, and it will accelerate in parallel the deployment of a regional exploration aiming to unlock the significant helium potential of this geological province.

45-8 ENERGY supply chain vision

The current and future projects in Germany are fully in line with our policy and positioning to supply resources locally with short and low-carbon supply chains. To limit the carbon footprint while supplying a tense market, we are targeting local markets of the eastern part of Germany to limit transportation distances and get rid off liquefaction which is energy-intensive and paradoxical for helium as most of the uses are at gaseous state.

Today's Helium supply chain in Europe

45-8 ENERGY Helium supply chain model