The largest helium purification facility in Canada is now operational in southwestern Saskatchewan.
Operated by North American Helium Inc. the $32-million facility is located near Battle Creek and is expected to produce more than 50-million cubic feet of purified helium per year for commercial sale.
That’s enough to fill about 40,000 balloons everyday.
In a news release the province says helium is a highly desirable commodity used in medical research, semiconductor manufacturing, space exploration, fiber optics and advancements in nuclear power generation.
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“This facility will create and support local jobs, enable the province to scale up helium production, and grow export capacity,” Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre said in a release. “It will also further diversify our natural resource sector and position Saskatchewan as a leading supplier of a critical element that the world needs,” she added.
Prices for helium have risen by over 160 percent since 2017.
Canada currently has the fifth largest helium resources in the world, Saskatchewan is home to significant underground reserves of that helium.
We are pleased to announce the start-up of our second helium purification facility in Saskatchewanhttps://t.co/1Qfmp9KvEQ
— North American Helium (@NAHelium) April 27, 2021
With the NAH facility, there are now nine active helium wells in Saskatchewan, 24 more are in the drilling process.