Global gas shortages have hit the news in recent years. The CO2 shortage over the summer of 2018 was widely reported and had an impact on the food and drink industry. In this instance the shortage was caused by the closure of several fertiliser plants across Europe. With CO2 being a by-product of ammonia production, the closure of so many plants during the fertiliser off-season, combined with demand for food and drink being driven up by good weather and the FIFA World Cup, meant supply didn't equal demand.
Helium shortage
But the gas shortage that concerns most analytical chemists is helium, the difference being that, unlike CO2, helium is a limited natural resource. Helium can be generated through nuclear fusion and is abundant in space, but neither of these sources are a cost-effective option.
Helium is originally formed by the radioactive decay of heavy elements in the earth's crust. The gas often escapes into the atmosphere and cannot be recovered, but sometimes it is trapped and mixes with other resources such as natural gas. When this happens the extraction of helium, along with another high value resource, can be cost effective. The helium is extracted via a helium recovery plant and so like CO2, becomes a by-product of another industrial process – liquified natural gas (LNG) production.
The recent helium shortage is due to a number of factors: declining production at the world's largest helium source – the US Government's BLM facility in Amarillo Texas; the embargo of Qatar by its neighbours, plus long outages at other large helium production facilities in the US and Algeria. All this at a time when world consumption of helium continues to grow.
Alternative carrier gases
Helium is the carrier gas of choice when it comes to gas chromatography; the shortage has some scientists looking to alternatives. Hydrogen tends to be considered first, however the switch to hydrogen isn't a simple one. With its flammable nature and ability to build up an explosive atmosphere, safety considerations need to be a priority. Prevention of gas leaks and safe venting of the outlet stream to the laboratory's flammable vent line is essential and can add up to a significant investment.
Additionally, a switch to hydrogen can result in other considerable costs. A change in carrier gas will require revalidation of each and every test method carried out in a lab (typical labs have between 30-40), but this may not be a suitable alternative due to its reactivity in certain applications.
A new hope for helium
However, it is with optimism that we look to the future of helium supply, several new helium projects are due to come online within the next few years. These should relieve the shortage. Air Products has the operating rights to two new helium recovery plants that are expected to make the most immediate impact. The plants are located in Arzew, Algeria and Ras Laffan, Qatar. With these additional sources experts are predicting that the long-term supply of helium is secure, although shortages may persist well into 2021.