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Air Liquide executive confirms plan to reallocate global helium supply
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 06:59 AM
An executive at Air Liquide has indicated that the company plans to redistribute helium supplies from various global sources to meet regional demand, addressing potential industrial gas supply constraints critical for semiconductor manufacturing.
Context
On March 25, 2026, Air Liquide executive Armelle Levieux confirmed a short-term global helium shortage and announced plans to reallocate supplies to critical customers. The crisis follows a series of attacks on natural gas fields in the Middle East and a subsequent force majeure declaration by QatarEnergy. As helium is a byproduct of natural gas processing, the disruption at the Ras Laffan facility—the world’s largest LNG plant—has effectively removed 5.2 million cubic meters of helium from the market per month, causing spot prices to double since the conflict began in late February.
This supply crunch poses a significant risk to the semiconductor industry, particularly in Taiwan where Air Liquide operates 54 facilities dedicated to chip manufacturing. Air Liquide is a primary supplier for TSMC, which relies on high-purity helium for cooling and leak detection. While Taiwan’s Economy Ministry reports stable short-term reserves bolstered by U.S. imports, the loss of Qatar—which provides one-third of global helium output—threatens long-term stability for memory chip production and advanced AI hardware manufacturing.
Sources (9)
2024: Building on record margin improvement and major commercial successes fueling future growth, Air Liquide is once again raising its margin ambition | Air LiquideHelium prices soar as Qatar LNG halt exposes fragile supply chain | ReutersAir Liquide executive: will allocate helium volume from other places in the world By Reuterswill allocate helium volume from other places in the worldAir Liquide to Reallocate Helium Supply Amid Middle EastAir Liquide executive: will allocate helium volume from other places ...bne IntelliNews - Helium shortage threatens semiconductor industry The Global Helium Supply Chain Hangs by a Thread
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