Helium: Emissions
What it costs in carbon to deliver a litre
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 5.70 t CO2e per t range 4.3-5.7 (0.54 kg CO2/L at plant to 0.71 kg CO2/L delivered) · per kg He derived from 0.71 kg CO2 per litre supplied; excludes LNG liquefaction share Global emissions per year 0.18 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · derived: about 32,000 t He x 5.7 t CO2/t; excludes host natural-gas and LNG emissions and vented CO2 from helium-bearing gasPer 1 litre of liquid helium supplied to user (about 0.125 kg); cradle-to-user, excluding allocation of LNG plant emissions. Intensity: Linde data cited in ISIS / British Cryogenics Council slides (indicative). Global total: USGS MCS 2026 (volume); Linde via BCC slides (intensity); indicative.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Refining / processing 76% Movement 24%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction | included in the 0.54 kg CO2/L production figure; not split | – | natural gas production and processing; in LNG routes the helium stream is a small side-product | Allocation choice dominates: the slides note LNG extraction emissions are much higher if allocated | BCC/ISIS slides citing Linde |
| Refining / processing | about 0.54 kg CO2 per litre produced | 76% | cryogenic separation, pressure-swing purification to Grade-A, liquefaction electricity | Liquefaction alone is about 0.45 kg CO2/L on a UK grid (ISIS liquefier) | BCC/ISIS slides citing Linde |
| Movement | about 0.17 kg CO2 per litre (0.71 minus 0.54) | 24% | ISO container shipping (about 43 g/L by sea), road (6-38 g/L) and boil-off losses of about 25% | Boil-off means 1.32 L must be shipped for each litre used | BCC/ISIS slides citing Linde |
| Usage | not applicable as combustion; helium is not a greenhouse gas | – | electricity for cryocoolers and re-liquefaction at users (MRI, labs, fabs) | Cryocooler-based recovery uses about 2 kg CO2 per litre recovered | BCC/ISIS slides |
| Recycling / end of life | recovery at ISIS about 0.30-0.45 kg CO2 per litre recovered | – | compression and re-liquefaction of boil-off gas | Recovery cuts emissions per litre by roughly 40-60% versus new supply, but large-volume uses are seldom recycled (USGS) | BCC/ISIS slides; USGS MCS 2026 |
Other environmental impacts
Some helium-bearing gas fields contain a large share of CO2, which is vented unless it is captured or sold for enhanced oil recovery; this is not included above. Vented helium is lost to space permanently, which makes recovery a resource issue as well as a carbon one.
Levers to cut emissions
- Install boil-off recovery and closed-loop systems at MRI sites, labs and fabs (recovery about 0.3-0.45 kg CO2/L vs 0.71 kg CO2/L new supply)
- Pre-cool liquefiers with liquid nitrogen (ISIS: cut from 450 g to about 300 g CO2 per litre and doubled output)
- Move to low-helium or helium-free MRI magnets and higher-temperature superconductors
- Power liquefaction with low-carbon electricity, since liquefaction is the largest single step
India
India imports all its helium as liquid in ISO containers, so its footprint includes the long sea leg and boil-off losses from Qatar and the US; no Indian estimate is published (USGS MCS 2026; Comtrade 2024).
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.