Energy Department Designates Helium as a Critical Material, Citing Its Essential Role in Semiconductor Manufacturing
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on October 23 that Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has designated helium as a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020. DOE said the designation advances the administration's commitment to freeing America from reliance on foreign sources of critical materials, strengthening domestic manufacturing, supporting American jobs, and securing materials essential to U.S. economic and national security.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said: "President Trump is bringing back America's manufacturing industry, and that means making sure we have the materials needed to build things in America again. Helium is essential to producing the semiconductors and advanced technologies that power our economy. By designating helium as a critical material, we are taking another step toward securing our supply chains, creating American jobs, and ensuring the United States leads the world in energy and technological innovation."
DOE determined that helium meets the statutory definition of a critical material due to its essential role in American manufacturing and growing exposure to supply chain risks. DOE said helium's unique properties make it indispensable to semiconductor production, with no viable substitutes in many critical applications, and that the United States has significant domestic deposits of helium-rich natural gas to support growing industrial demand.
Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said DOE is committed to strengthening the country's supply chain of critical materials essential to economic and job growth, energy dominance, and U.S. leadership in cutting-edge technologies such as semiconductors, and to ensuring American manufacturers have reliable access to helium.
DOE also said global demand for helium is growing faster than production, increasing supply risks for American manufacturers, and that despite the nation's abundant helium resources, limited refining capacity and lengthy permitting timelines continue to constrain U.S. production. DOE published a Federal Register notice with details of the designation.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：半导体洁净室（资料图）。照片：Aileen Devlin，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A semiconductor cleanroom (file photo). Photo: Aileen Devlin, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
