China News Service, Beijing, March 9 (Reporter Li Tengfei) In the industrial field, helium is known as the "golden gas" and "gas chip" and is widely used in liquid fuel rockets, manned deep diving, semiconductor manufacturing, nuclear magnetic resonance, modern Precision analytical instruments and other high-tech fields.
During the two sessions this year, some representatives put forward suggestions to strengthen the development and utilization of helium resources, ensure the independent control of the new materials industry chain, and cultivate and develop new productivity.
Photo by Huang Baorong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), photo by China News Service reporter Li Tengfei
Helium is the gas with the lowest boiling point on Earth, at minus 268.9°C. It plays a key role in superconducting magnets, supporting the development and operation of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging technology and particle accelerators. Helium is also used as a cooling medium and is used in semiconductor chips. In manufacturing; in aerospace engineering, helium is still an important component of rocket propellant... "It can be said that without helium, many high-tech industries cannot operate." Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology Director Huang Baorong said.
In the high-tech industrial chain, helium plays a key role, but China is a helium-poor country.
Deng Langni, deputy to the National People's Congress and director of the Scientific Research Office of Guangxi University of Science and Technology, said that my country's helium reserves account for only 2% of the global total, but demand accounts for 11% of the global total demand. In 2022, my country's helium dependence on foreign countries will exceed 95% .
Photo provided by interviewee Deng Langni, deputy to the National People's Congress
In recent years, facing the reality of insufficient helium resources, my country's scientific research institutions and enterprises have focused on the research and development of technology for extracting helium from low-grade helium-containing natural gas.
Huang Baorong introduced that technological developments such as hydrogen and helium separation and purification devices and room temperature membrane separation methods for helium extraction have opened up a new model of helium extraction that is suitable for the actual natural gas resources in my country.
However, Huang Baorong emphasized that due to a weak industrial foundation and long-term dependence on imports, my country's helium localization capabilities and industrial development momentum are still insufficient.
Huang Baorong believes that at present, we must vigorously develop domestic, independent and controllable helium industry and related technologies, and fundamentally overcome the risk of helium short supply. This is important for cultivating and developing new productive forces, promoting high-quality development, and ensuring the safety of the new materials industry chain. significance.
Regarding how to strengthen the development and utilization of helium resources, Deng Langni suggested that the industrial chain should be laid out around the development of new productivity, docking the construction of "100 billion cubic meters" gas storage clusters in Northeast, North China, Southwest, and Northwest China laid out by the country, and setting up sites for helium extraction, storage, in-depth development and utilization of related industries, and continuously improve the national layout of the helium industry.
Huang Baorong suggested establishing a helium industry innovation consortium consisting of key scientific research institutions, key central and state-owned enterprises, and key helium production private enterprises, focusing on supporting the research and transformation of low-grade helium extraction technology, increasing investment in relevant scientific research and industrialization, and promoting Industrial chain security and new material industry development.
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