Industrial gas major Air Liquide is still experiencing what it calls ‘helium headwinds’ in Asia, and particularly China, with prices in the region having softened on cheaper helium reaching the market from Russia since late 2023.
Jérôme Pelletan, Chief Financial Officer at Air Liquide, said in the major’s latest earnings call that the strong performance by the company in Asia was despite the knock it has taken on its helium business in the region.
“We have seen a significant impact on our helium trade in China,” said Pelletan. But he also noted it was mostly confined to China rather than being more widespread. He said it was the only gas molecule seeing a continued hit on its pricing in Asia, reflecting a cheaper supply of helium flowing into Asia from Gazprom’s Amur Gas Processing Plant.
It is nearly a year now since three of the listed industrial gas majors talked about helium pricing in Asia at length in their earnings calls, with pricing in China and Asia more generally having softened.
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