Helium Shortage amid West Asia Conflict

Why in News?

• The raging war in West Asia has hit Natural gas production and associated Helium production. This unlikely shortage is threatening to halt production in major, critical high-end industries such as semiconductor manufacturing and healthcare.

Why is Helium important?

About Helium:

• Helium is a colourless, odourless, and non-toxic noble gas. 
• It is the second most common element in the universe after Hydrogen. But it is rare on Earth, where it mainly exists in small concentrations in pockets of natural gas. 
• Helium has the lowest boiling point among all elements (−269°C).

How is Helium obtained?

Helium is not extracted independently but as a by-product of LNG (liquefied natural gas). During LNG production, Helium is separated from methane, nitrogen, and other gases using cryogenic distillation and then shipped as a supercooled liquid. 

Applications of Helium:

• Cryogenics: Widely used as a cryogenic coolant, as it remains liquid at extremely low temperatures. It is used to cool superconducting magnets, maintaining ultra-low temperatures in research labs and in nuclear and particle physics experiments.
• Semiconductor manufacturing: Used in the semiconductor industry due to its inert nature and high thermal conductivity. It is used to cool silicon wafers and other manufacturing processes (E.g., Wafer Etching process- a microfabrication process in chip manufacturing)
• Space Industry: 
  • Pressurising rocket fuel systems: Helium is used in rocket systems because it is non-reactive and lightweight. As fuel and oxidiser are burned in the rocket’s engines, Helium fills the resulting empty space in the tanks, maintaining the overall pressure inside.
  •  Purging fuel tanks: Helium purging in rocket fuel tanks involves flushing the tanks with inert Helium gas to remove moisture, air, or reactive impurities.
• Used in the production of Fibre optic cables for rapidly cooling molten glass to prevent defects in the optical fibre cables.
• Healthcare Applications: Used to cool superconducting magnets in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machines.
• Leak detection in pipelines: Helium has very small atoms that can escape through extremely tiny cracks. Used to detect very small leaks in pipelines carrying gases or liquids such as natural gas, petroleum, chemicals, or refrigerants. 
• Used as a lifting gas in balloons and airships. E.g., party balloons, hot air balloon.

Helium Shortage amid West Asia Conflict:

• Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility (the world’s largest liquefied natural gas plant) halted production of LNG and “associated products” after Iranian strikes on Qatari natural gas plants. This cut off roughly 30% of helium’s global supply. The damaged production lines could take years to repair.
• Bottleneck in Strait of Hormuz (effectively closed since early March 2026): Helium’s tiny molecules can easily escape containers by leaking through even the smallest of gaps. Helium is typically chilled into the liquid form and stored in insulated containers for transport through the Strait of Hormuz. The specialised containers can store Helium for 35 to 48 days. Any longer and they start warming up, letting the liquid Helium transform into gas that can eventually escape through pressure-release valves. 

Helium shortage is threatening semiconductor chip production and driving up manufacturing costs. Under current semiconductor manufacturing processes, there is no viable replacement for Helium to cool wafers. Prolonged shortages could force production cuts and ripple through industries from electronics and AI to automobiles.

Practice MCQ: 

Q. Which of the following are the applications of Helium?

1. Cryogenic coolant in MRI machines

2. Filling weather balloons

3. Used as fuel in rockets

4. Leak detection in pipelines

Select the correct answer:

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (a)

Explanation: Helium is not used as a fuel to provide thrust in rockets. However, it is used to pressurise fuel tanks, ensuring fuel flows to the rocket’s engines without interruption, detecting leaks in rocket components and systems and purging. 

UPSC PYQ 2023

Q. Consider the following heavy industries:

1. Fertiliser plants

2. Oil refineries

3. Steel plants

Green Hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in decarbonising how many of the above industries.

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Answer: (c)