Canada's largest helium purification facility opens in Saskatchewan

A helium purification facility near Stewart Valley in southwest Saskatchewan has started operating, and the Government of Saskatchewan says it is the largest in Canada. The government announced the opening in a release on Oct. 15.

The release says the facility will produce about 73 million cubic feet of helium a year. That will raise the province’s yearly output by more than 40 per cent. The release lists medical, defence, space exploration and advanced manufacturing as uses for helium.

The release names North American Helium, the province’s largest helium producer, as the company behind the facility. It says the company has invested about $700 million and drilled more than 120 wells in the province over the past decade.

Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry said facilities like this will be “crucial to helping Saskatchewan reach 10 per cent of the global helium supply by 2030.” He linked the target to the government’s Helium Action Plan.

Nicholas Snyder, chairman and chief executive officer of North American Helium, said the company is “bringing on new reliable production to a volatile market plagued by repeated global shortages.” He said the Helium Action Plan and associated incentives make Saskatchewan “a premier destination for new investment” in helium.

The government is urging Ottawa to change federal tax rules so helium is treated like other critical minerals, the release says. It says the changes would help pave the way for Canada’s first commercial-scale helium liquefaction facility.

The release also says the Ministry of Energy and Resources held its first Crown Public Offering for Helium and Associated Gases earlier this year.