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Xebec inks helium purification supply deal with Air Liquide

Xebec

Xebec Adsorption, a global provider of sustainable gas technologies headquartered in Canada, announced this Friday it has closed a helium purification deal with the industrial gases giant Air Liquide. The agreement will have Xebec supplying its pressure swing adsorption technology (PSA) to the US wing of Air Liquide.

Firstly, the PSA technology is a gas separation technology that uses pressure to separate gas molecules. Under the agreement Xebec will supply its platform to Air Liquide Advanced Technology US.

However, the partnership intends to expand and combine both companies’ capabilities; particularly, to create a two-stage system that efficiently purifies helium from geological sources. To do so, Air Liquide will deploy its membrane technology alongside the PSA platform.

In addition, Xebec will benefit from the scale and resources that Air Liquide offers as one of the world’s largest industrial gas companies. In fact, the agreement follows two recent PSA orders for projects in North America.

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Xebec and Air Liquide build upon Canada’s largest helium purification project

Furthermore, after the partnership, the helium industry in North America will benefit from a top-of-the-line product. Kurt Sorschak, Chairman, CEO, and President of Xebec said about the matter. “Helium is a critical industry gas used in semiconductors, healthcare and space exploration.”

He also remarked. “This partnership will help address demand and ensure North American supply security of the gas. Ultimately, we are building on the success from our first project in Saskatchewan, Canada’s largest helium purification facility, and look forward to many more to come.”

The executive noted. “We are excited to be working with Air Liquide as an exclusive technology partner for their helium projects in North America. What is unique about our PSA platform is that it can be applied to other gases besides hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and CO2 as customers look to drive efficiencies and reduce emissions.”

Finally, as outlined above, the agreement builds upon the success of Canada’s largest helium purification facility in Saskatchewan. It is a $32 million facility that will produce more than 50 million cubic feet per year of purified helium for commercial sale. Xebec supplied the PSA technology for this project; which along with Air Liquide’s membrane technology; created a two-stage configuration that enabled the purification of helium to Grade-A specification (99.997% or greater purity).

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