Charbone Expands Helium Fleet to Five Units Amid Global Supply Shortages, Bolstering North American Industrial Gas Market

CHARBONE CORPORATION, a vertically integrated industrial gases company, announced the expansion of its dedicated helium delivery fleet from one unit to five, enabling accelerated service to North American customers amid tightening global supply. The company, which focuses on production, distribution, and storage of clean ultra-high purity hydrogen and other strategic industrial gases, is leveraging its decentralized production model to capture market share from competitors facing supply constraints.

Global helium supply shortages have enabled CHARBONE to grow its business faster in underserved markets. Recent geopolitical disruptions to Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex, historically responsible for approximately one-third of global helium supply, and the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to Western shipping, have driven price volatility across North American markets. Reported helium spot prices have increased significantly, creating urgent demand for reliable domestic supply sources for sectors like semiconductor manufacturing and healthcare.

CHARBONE's helium division, launched in 2025, leverages the company's vertically integrated infrastructure and decentralized production model. By establishing supply capability ahead of recent market disruptions, CHARBONE secured long-term customer commitments through 2028 that insulate North American operations from volatile international shipping dependencies.

The Company’s growth is reflected in its rapidly expanding customer base and logistics capacity. The dedicated helium trailer fleet increased from a single unit in Q4 2025 to five today, with the capacity to add five more within months. Additionally, 22 new helium customers were added across Quebec recently, spanning laboratories, advanced manufacturing, and technical services. CHARBONE continues to deploy recurring revenue streams across UHP hydrogen, helium, and oxygen, supporting portfolio diversification.

“We were prepared to scale helium production well before recent supply disruptions materialized. With trailers on order and agreements in place, we've grown our dedicated helium fleet from one unit to five and remain positioned to add five more within months to meet this surge in demand,” said Patrick Cuddihy, Senior Vice-President of CHARBONE.

The shortage has also acted as a strategic market entry tool. Because industrial gas buyers are typically permitted to seek secondary suppliers when their primary providers cannot deliver, CHARBONE has captured market share from established competitors facing supply constraints. Management expects these new helium relationships to eventually facilitate cross-selling of hydrogen and oxygen products.

While CHARBONE’s helium division continues to benefit from the setback on production facilities in Qatar requiring rebuilding from drone and missile attacks in March 2026 and shipping constraints persist, CHARBONE remains in continuous commercial production at its Sorel-Tracy flagship hydrogen plant. With Phase 1B scale-up currently underway, the Company is focused on delivering sustained sales growth across its decentralized North American network.

In a separate development, CHARBONE has engaged IMPAQ Capital Inc., an independent service provider, to deliver investor relations services. The agreement is for an initial term of ten months, effective July 13, 2026, and will automatically renew for successive three-month periods unless terminated by the Company. IMPAQ will receive a monthly cash fee of $8,500, and the Company has agreed to allocate 300,000 of the already announced grant of stock options on June 23, 2026, at an exercise price of $0.15. CHARBONE is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: CH), the OTC Markets (OTCQB: CHHYF), and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: K47).