Helium shortage threatens chip supply

Qatar’s March 18-19 missile strikes on Ras Laffan knocked out associated helium output, and Moody’s says the disruption now threatens semiconductor manufacturing and AI infrastructure. (qatarenergy.qa) (datacenterdynamics.com) Helium is a cooling and shielding gas in chip plants, including extreme ultraviolet lithography tools used to make the most advanced semiconductors. Qatar supplies roughly 30% of the world’s high-purity helium, according to Moody’s. (datacenterdynamics.com) QatarEnergy said on March 19 that the attacks cut the country’s liquefied natural gas export capacity by 17% and could force contract disruptions for up to five years. The company also listed a loss of 309.54 million cubic feet per annum of helium, about 14% of Qatar’s helium exports. (qatarenergy.qa) The chip risk comes from how helium is produced and moved. Qatar’s helium is recovered alongside natural gas processing, so when Ras Laffan goes offline, helium output stops too. (agbi.com) (qatarenergy.qa) Moody’s said Samsung and SK Hynix have enough helium inventory to last until June, but buyers in Asia are already paying premiums to secure cargoes from U.S. suppliers. The rating agency also said helium can only be stored in specialized containers for about 45 days before it degrades. (datacenterdynamics.com) The disruption is showing up in trade flows. AGBI, citing Japan finance ministry data reported by Bloomberg, said Qatar’s helium exports to Japan fell 81% in March from a year earlier to 8,800 kilograms, the lowest in more than a year. (agbi.com) Before the conflict, the market looked comfortable. Moody’s said global helium demand was about 170 million cubic meters in 2025, while production was about 184 million cubic meters, leaving a surplus that had been expected to persist for several years. (datacenterdynamics.com) That cushion is thinner now just as chip demand is rising. IDTechEx, cited by Moody’s, estimates helium use in semiconductor manufacturing could grow fivefold by 2035 as advanced chip production expands. (datacenterdynamics.com) The immediate question is not whether chip plants can run today, but how long inventories and workarounds can hold. Moody’s said the main responses are recycling, inventory management, process optimization and sourcing from alternative suppliers. (datacenterdynamics.com) A gas better known for balloons is now sitting inside the same supply-chain map as extreme ultraviolet tools, memory fabs and AI servers. The shortage risk starts in Ras Laffan, but the pressure shows up months later in chip plants far from Qatar. (qatarenergy.qa) (datacenterdynamics.com)