IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/bioerq/v5y2020i2d10.1007_s41247-020-00072-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing the Past and Future Sustainability of Global Helium Resources, Extraction, Supply and Use, Using the Integrated Assessment Model WORLD7

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Hulda Olafsdottir

    (University of Iceland)

  • Harald Ulrik Sverdrup

    (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences)

Abstract

The sustainability of the helium production, supply and use was assessed using the WORLD7 integrated model. The use of helium is at present concluded to be unsustainable with respect to long-term supply security, because of lack of significant recycling. There is no risk for significant helium scarcity in the short term (before 2030), but in the long term, the scarcity risk is unavoidable under business as usual. The helium supply runs into limitations by 2090, under business as usual and supply declines after that. The study shows that the present helium recycling rate is far too low, causing helium to be squandered in one-way use and that is driving helium prices up. A scenario analysis with the WORLD7 model suggests that a sustained program for helium recycling and demand management, combined with political efforts to ban unnecessary use, will be able to significantly improve the long-term helium supply situation. The outputs show that such efforts may be sufficient for avoiding any scarcity under the demand assumptions taken.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Hulda Olafsdottir & Harald Ulrik Sverdrup, 2020. "Assessing the Past and Future Sustainability of Global Helium Resources, Extraction, Supply and Use, Using the Integrated Assessment Model WORLD7," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 1-18, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:bioerq:v:5:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s41247-020-00072-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s41247-020-00072-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41247-020-00072-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41247-020-00072-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Massol, Olivier & Rifaat, Omer, 2018. "Phasing out the U.S. Federal Helium Reserve: Policy insights from a world helium model," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 186-211.
    2. Harald Ulrik Sverdrup & Anna Hulda Olafsdottir & Kristin Vala Ragnarsdottir & Deniz Koca, 2018. "A System Dynamics Assessment of the Supply of Molybdenum and Rhenium Used for Super-alloys and Specialty Steels, Using the WORLD6 Model," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1-43, September.
    3. Cai, Zhiming & Clarke, Richard H. & Glowacki, Bartek A. & Nuttall, William J. & Ward, Nick, 2010. "Ongoing ascent to the helium production plateau--Insights from system dynamics," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 77-89, June.
    4. Dennis Epple & Lester Lave, 1980. "Helium: Investments in the Future," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 11(2), pages 617-630, Autumn.
    5. Harald Ulrik Sverdrup & Kristin Vala Ragnarsdottir & Deniz Koca, 2017. "Integrated Modelling of the Global Cobalt Extraction, Supply, Price and Depletion of Extractable Resources Using the WORLD6 Model," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-29, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. André Månberger, 2021. "Reduced Use of Fossil Fuels can Reduce Supply of Critical Resources," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Le Boulzec, Hugo & Delannoy, Louis & Andrieu, Baptiste & Verzier, François & Vidal, Olivier & Mathy, Sandrine, 2022. "Dynamic modeling of global fossil fuel infrastructure and materials needs: Overcoming a lack of available data," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Massol, Olivier & Rifaat, Omer, 2018. "Phasing out the U.S. Federal Helium Reserve: Policy insights from a world helium model," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 186-211.
    2. Megy, Camille & Massol, Olivier, 2023. "Is Power-to-Gas always beneficial? The implications of ownership structure," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    3. Becker, Jonathon M., 2021. "General equilibrium impacts on the U.S. economy of a disruption to Chinese cobalt supply," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    4. Harald Ulrik Sverdrup & Anna Hulda Olafsdottir, 2018. "A System Dynamics Model Assessment of the Supply of Niobium and Tantalum Using the WORLD6 Model," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 1-35, June.
    5. Malinowski, Ethan & Karwan, Mark H. & Pinto, José M. & Sun, Lei, 2018. "A mixed-integer programming strategy for liquid helium global supply chain planning," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 168-188.
    6. Gao, Jiayang & Zhang, Tao, 2022. "Effects of public funding on the commercial diffusion of on-site hydrogen production technology: A system dynamics perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    7. Jordan, Brett, 2018. "Economics literature on joint production of minerals: A survey," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 20-28.
    8. Werner, Tim T. & Mudd, Gavin M. & Jowitt, Simon M. & Huston, David, 2023. "Rhenium mineral resources: A global assessment," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    9. Saldarriaga-Isaza, Adrián & Villegas-Palacio, Clara & Arango, Santiago, 2013. "The public good dilemma of a non-renewable common resource: A look at the facts of artisanal gold mining," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 224-232.
    10. A. M. Hughey, 1991. "Joint Natural Resources and Government Policy: Helium and Natural Gas," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 17(1), pages 80-88, Jan-Mar.
    11. Liu, Wei & Li, Xin & Liu, Chunyan & Wang, Minxi & Liu, Litao, 2023. "Resilience assessment of the cobalt supply chain in China under the impact of electric vehicles and geopolitical supply risks," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    12. Becerra-Fernandez, Mauricio & Cosenz, Federico & Dyner, Isaac, 2020. "Modeling the natural gas supply chain for sustainable growth policy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    13. Arie Christoffel Seijmonsbergen & Sanne Valentijn & Lisan Westerhof & Kenneth Frank Rijsdijk, 2022. "Exploring Ocean Floor Geodiversity in Relation to Mineral Resources in the Southwest Pacific Ocean," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-13, June.
    14. Rooney, Matthew & Nuttall, William J. & Kazantzis, Nikolaos, 2015. "A dynamic model of the global uranium market and the nuclear fuel cycle," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 50-60.
    15. Han, Sun & Zhenghao, Meng & Meilin, Li & Xiaohui, Yang & Xiaoxue, Wang, 2023. "Global supply sustainability assessment of critical metals for clean energy technology," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    16. Ponzo, Ricardo & Dyner, Isaac & Arango, Santiago & Larsen, Erik R., 2011. "Regulation and development of the Argentinean gas market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1070-1079, March.
    17. Marc van der Meide & Carina Harpprecht & Stephen Northey & Yongxiang Yang & Bernhard Steubing, 2022. "Effects of the energy transition on environmental impacts of cobalt supply: A prospective life cycle assessment study on future supply of cobalt," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(5), pages 1631-1645, October.
    18. Harald Ulrik Sverdrup & Anna Hulda Olafsdottir, 2020. "Conceptualization and parameterization of the market price mechanism in the WORLD6 model for metals, materials, and fossil fuels," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 33(3), pages 285-310, October.
    19. Rachidi, Ntebatše R. & Nwaila, Glen T. & Zhang, Steven E. & Bourdeau, Julie E. & Ghorbani, Yousef, 2021. "Assessing cobalt supply sustainability through production forecasting and implications for green energy policies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    20. Cai, Zhiming & Clarke, Richard H. & Glowacki, Bartek A. & Nuttall, William J. & Ward, Nick, 2010. "Ongoing ascent to the helium production plateau--Insights from system dynamics," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 77-89, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:bioerq:v:5:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s41247-020-00072-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.