South African natural gas and helium producer Renergen has officially commenced commercial sales of liquid helium, marking a significant milestone in the region’s energy sector.
The company successfully achieved cooling temperatures of -269°C on March 13, paving the way for helium liquefaction. The first commercial sale followed on March 14, with plans to routinely fill Dewars ranging from 250 to 500 liters with liquid helium.
This achievement is a result of Renergen’s Virginia Gas Project, located in South Africa’s Free State Province. The company estimates that once Phases 1 and 2 of the project are fully operational, it could generate revenues between R5.7 billion ($313.7 million) and R6.2 billion ($341.2 million).
Phase 1 aims to produce 350 kg of liquid helium per day along with 2,700 gigajoules of liquefied natural gas (LNG), while Phase 2 is projected to scale up production to 4,200 kg of helium daily, alongside 34,400 gigajoules of LNG.
Source: Energy Capital and Power
