Industrial gas company Air Liquide has announced a partnership with clean energy expert Laurentis Energy Partners that will see the two agreeing to produce and distribute helium-3 (3He).
Utilised in industries as specialised as quantum computing, astrophysics, neutron detection and medical imaging, the rare 3He isotope will be extracted as a by-product of Darlington power generating station’s process in Canada.
What makes 3He different to the more common helium-4 is its unique properties such as a lower liquefaction temperature, allowing it so reach temperatures close to absolute zero which could see the molecule becoming an essential component in achieving fusion.
Commenting on the partnership, Emilie Mouren-Renouard, Executive Committee Member, Air Liquide, said, “This major agreement reinforces our core competencies when it comes to extreme cryogenics and deep tech, and illustrates our ambition to push back the frontiers of science.”
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