Carbon footprint of the Helium Recovery System at the ISIS Facility
Contributors: RBE Down (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), AT Jones (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), CR Lawson (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), O Kirichek (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.)
Abstract: Helium is a finite global resource, which is becoming vitally important to recover and reuse as it continually diminishes. The helium recovery process is well known and incorporates plant machinery that can consume significant amounts of power, thus contributing to a facility’s already large carbon footprint. The drive to reduce carbon footprint, and therefore lessen the impact of climate change, is gathering momentum. Here we have assessed the CO2 produced per liquid litre of helium, when processed by the ISIS helium recovery system, and compared it with the estimated carbon footprint of liquid helium that is supplied by the gas companies. This allows us to comment on the contribution helium recovery can make in the pursuit of net zero.
This 8 page document is available for download. https://epubs.stfc.ac.uk/work/53761171
