Posted In: Industry News
Helium prices have increased by 15% to 20% each of the last few years. Air Products Corp. announced a 30% increase effective in October. The reasons are numerous. Currently, supply is tight. Worldwide demand is increasing by more than 20% annually. Gas suppliers are experiencing escalating energy, logistics and operational costs, which are being passed along to the user. And, price increases for industrial gases is not limited to helium. Prices for nitrogen, oxygen, argon, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are up 10 to 20% in 2008 alone.
There is good news in this story. The increased price for helium is allowing the gas companies to invest in the infrastructure of helium supply. New equipment and plants are coming on line, which will help meet the increased demand. But, the probability of a price decrease is not likely. As an End-user, you can gain control over your cost and your supply through helium reclaim. A helium reclaim system allows you recover and reuse your helium. In a properly designed helium application, a helium reclaim system can delivery helium recovery and reuse at rates as high as 90 to 95%. Purchasing costs for helium can be reduced dramatically.
Give Serv-I-Quip a call today to see if Helium Reclaim is a viable option for cost savings and helium supply control for your company. We will take the time to review your usage and your application, and will work to provide you with a solution to control your helium costs and supply. If your helium costs are anything near $75K or more per year, give us a call. Chances are, we can give you a helium cost and supply control solution with a ROI of less than a year.