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Losing out: Tough rules on travel for business customers are hitting exports
A British engineering firm that predominantly works in the export market is struggling to obtain documentation to allow customers from overseas to visit to do business, it has emerged.
Cryogenic, which manufactures superconducting magnets, exports 95% of its products. But customers from various parts of the world are being turned down for visas.
Managing director Jeremy Good said: “Despite the government’s attempt to prevent us selling equipment by not letting our customers visit us, we’re doing well overseas. But the visa regulations are so tough. We find we can’t get our customers in. So we will have to set up more offices outside the UK to cater for them.”
Cryogenic has developed a range of products that eliminate the need for large volumes of expensive liquid helium in MRI scanners and spectroscopy operations. Unlike existing systems, Cryogenic’s cryogen-free magnets are cooled to low temperature by mechanical refrigerators which require only electrical power and cooling water. The coolers rely on the compression and expansion of a fixed volume of helium gas supplied under pressure in a closed circuit. The helium gas remains contained in the circuit and never condenses into liquid.
Liquid helium is soaring in price due to a global shortage. In Europe, its price has doubled in the last three years from £3/litre to £6/litre. It is cheaper in the US but in key export markets for Cryogenic such as China, Australia and South Africa the price
is rocketing.
“Customers can’t get permission to see us. It is exactly that,” said Good. “We’ve had cases where we’ve given the letter of invitation and no visa has been allowed. This is for a customer who is spending £200,000 and wants to visit for three days. It’s just bizarre.”
Liquid helium is made as a byproduct of natural gas production. The US maintains a strategic stockpile but has been releasing less onto the market. In addition, two prominent liquefaction plants have gone offline. Feeding liquid helium into medical equipment is time-consuming. Cryogenic’s systems are aimed at saving money, and the cost of liquid helium could rise still further as supplies deplete. In some places, where liquid helium is very hard to obtain, it could make such techniques viable to use for the first time.
Good said: “Shortages of helium are a pressing issue for researchers and the medical profession. Major research laboratories have had to temporarily shut down multimillion-pound facilities because of these shortages and the problem will only get worse. Providing an alternative which doesn’t rely on a regular supply of helium is essential. It will save time and money in the short term, and in the long term may be the only option.”