By Joe Hoppe

Gazprom PJSC said Friday that it has opened the world's largest logistics center for servicing helium containers in the Nadezhdinskaya priority development area, near Vladivostok, Russia.

The Russian energy company said the plant will service helium containers, used to deliver liquid helium to the global market as part of the logistics chain for its Amur gas processing plant.

Demand fo helium is currently high and rising in high-tech industries.

The first of three helium separation, liquefaction and packaging units has been put into operation, in sync with a gradual increase its the Amur plant's processing capacity. The new hub's capacity, once all units are online, will exceed 4,000 operations annually.

"This is an unprecedented figure, as there are currently only 2,000 thermally-insulated cryogenic containers in the world, which collectively carry all of the helium produced worldwide," Chairman of the Management Committee Alexey Miller said.

As well as servicing, the hub will arrange logistics operations, carry out acceptance and weight checks, and prepare thermally-insulated containers for further loading onto sea vessels.

Shares in Gazprom at 0950 GMT were up 0.8% at RUB314.83.

Write to Joe Hoppe at joseph.hoppe@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-03-21 0620ET