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The U.S. just sold its helium stockpile. Here’s why the medical world is worried. (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 10 months ago by Five@slrpnk.net to c/news

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[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

But not nearly the required amounts. We currently use about 6 million metric tons of helium per year.

If fusion plants ever become a commercially viable thing (and that's a big if), they will never be able to supply anything close to that.

[–] jarfil 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

According to this, the anual production is 160 million cubic meters, which at a density of 0.166kg/m³ would be over 26 million metric tons of helium per year.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/925214/helium-production-worldwide-by-country/

If we currently only use 6, that's 20 too many being produced. It would also seem like China is 95% dependent on helium import, so the US selling its reserves could be a reasonable way to level the import/export balance.

[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I got the 6 million from this link: https://www.chemanalyst.com/industry-report/helium-gas-market-578

The issue is not how much can be produced right now, but the rate at which we are depleting it.

I found different estimates on how long earth's helium supply will last, and most of them are between 10 and 100 years. That's not a long time, considering that it means we will lose access to a whole element.

[–] jarfil 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

According to the OP article:

Both Philips and Siemens Healthineers recently started selling alternatives to traditional MRI machines, which hold 1,700 to 1,800 liters of liquid helium and require constant replenishment.

Some models now require just 1 to 7 liters of helium and don’t need any replenishment.

That could mean a much lower usage, and a much longer timespan for the supply.

[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 3 points 9 months ago

That would indeed be very helpful. But if all the other usages keep draining the supply, it will only help extend artificial reserves.