US gives helium critical-material status
Helium has been designated a critical material by the US Department of Energy, reflecting its importance to semiconductor manufacturing and growing supply risk.
The department says global demand is increasing faster than production. Its assessment also identifies a constraint within the United States: substantial deposits of helium-rich natural gas exist, but refining capacity and lengthy permitting processes limit the supply available to industry.
The designation falls under the Energy Act of 2020. DOE says helium has no viable substitute in many critical applications, making disruption difficult to address simply by changing materials.
The announcement establishes helium’s federal status. Increasing the available supply still requires the processing capacity and permissions needed to turn the resource into an industrial product.
