Helium and Helium Crisis

News: The disruption in global helium supply due to the Middle East war and restrictions in the Gulf of Hormuz has raised concerns in India’s healthcare sector.

About Helium and Helium Crisis

• Helium is a non-renewable inert gas.
• Discovered by: It was discovered in 1868 by Jules Janssen and Norman Lockyer.
• Naming: It was named after the Greek word “Helios”, meaning Sun.
• Properties of helium
  • Nature: Helium is a chemical element with symbol ‘He’ and atomic number 2 and it belongs to the noble gas group.
  • Physical characteristics: It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, and inert gas that exists in monatomic form.
  • Lightness: Helium is the second lightest element after hydrogen.
  • Boiling Point: It has the lowest boiling point among all elements at about −268.9°C and becomes liquid at extremely low temperatures.
  • Solidification condition: It cannot be solidified at normal atmospheric pressure and requires a pressure of about 25 atmospheres at around 1 K (−272°C) to become solid.
  • Thermal properties: The boiling and freezing points of helium are lower than those of any other known substance.
• Applications
  • MRI: Helium is used in MRI machines as a coolant for superconducting magnets.
  • Cryogenics: Helium is used in cryogenics as a coolant because it is the coldest substance.
  • Rocket propulsion: It is used to pressurize fuel tanks, especially for liquid hydrogen systems.
  • Meteorology: It is used as a lifting gas for weather balloons carrying instruments.
  • Welding and breathing: It is used as an inert gas in welding and in high-pressure breathing mixtures.
• Global Reserve: The largest global reserves of helium are found in the United States, Algeria, and Russia.
• Reserve in India: India’s Rajmahal Volcanic Basin in Jharkhand is a significant helium reservoir.

About Helium Crisis

• The helium crisis refers to supply disruptions and rising prices due to geopolitical tensions and supply-demand imbalance.
• West Asia tensions: The war in the Middle East and restrictions in the Gulf of Hormuz have disrupted helium supply chains, especially from Qatar, increasing prices significantly.
• Infrastructure disruptions: Damage to critical hubs like Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility has further constricted supply.
• Impact on India
  • Rising costs: The price of helium has nearly doubled, increasing the cost burden on healthcare facilities, especially for smaller operators.
  • MRI Installation and Operational Challenges: New MRI installations may be postponed due to high initial helium requirements, and older machines that require large volumes face higher disruption risks.