Healthcare
- MRI Scanners
- NMR machines
- Assisted Breathing
- Helium ion microscopes
- Cryogenics
- Laser eye surgery
Helium
Helium is a unique industrial gas that is an element in the manufacture of MRIs and semiconductors and is necessary for fibre optic cable manufacturing, hard disc manufacture and cooling, space exploration, rocketry, lifting and high-level science.
There is no way of manufacturing helium artificially and most of the world’s reserves have been derived as a by-product of the extraction of natural hydrocarbon gas.
In October 2026 the US Department of Energy designated helium a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020, recognising its essential role in semiconductor manufacturing and the risks to its supply chain.
- US spot helium pricing: approximately 33% higher year on year
- Helium market forecast to grow at a 6.7% CAGR, 2025–2030
- Demand expected to reach ~8.5 Bcf by 2030, from ~6.0 Bcf today
The Helium Market
Demand for helium is driven by applications with few or no substitutes: semiconductor manufacturing and AI infrastructure, MRI and medical imaging, and aerospace and cryogenics. At the same time, supply remains concentrated and exposed to disruption, and the US Department of Energy notes that domestic helium extraction plants are at their limits and that new capacity takes years to permit and build.
In this environment, secure domestic production, processing and liquefaction are strategic assets, not just a commodity business.
Most helium end users need it in liquid form. Liquid helium can be shipped to buyers across North America and Asia, where scarcity supports the strongest pricing and the longest-dated take-or-pay contracts. Owning liquefaction capacity at Keyes gives Helix access to this global buyer universe for its own production and for third-party producers.
Industrial Uses
- Welding and shield masks
- Leak detection
- Fusion reactors
- Diving
- Small-scale fission
- Crystal growth
- Nuclear reactor coplant
Aerospace & Defense
- Fuel purging systems
- Defence systems
- Commercial space exploration and travel
- Lifting gas
- Airships
Technology Manufacturing
- Semi-conductor manufacturing
- AI data centre supply chains
- Quantum computers
- LCD panels
- Fiber optic technology
- Microchip manufacturing
