Helium ISO containers and road tankers

Chart Industries (NYSE: GTLS; Ball Ground, GA; ~$4B revenue post-Howden) is the world's dominant manufacturer of cryogenic equipment for LNG, including peak-shaving plant liquefiers, brazed aluminum heat exchangers (BAHX), cold boxes, storage tanks, and LNG vaporizers. Chart's Industrial & Commercial Energy (ICE) division is the primary vendor for utility LNG peak-shaving plant equipment in North America. Chart acquired Howden (Glasgow-based industrial compressor and fan manufacturer) in 2023 for $4.4B, adding compression technology to its cryogenic heat exchanger and storage portfolio — making Chart a near-complete LNG equipment systems integrator. Chart also produces the CAIRE/MVE biomedical cryogenic cylinders and acquired La Crosse Cooler and other brands. The La Crosse, WI cryogenic division manufactures vacuum-insulated storage vessels. Chart is the single most critical equipment supplier for US utility LNG peak-shaving — if a New England utility needs to expand or replace a peak-shaving liquefier, Chart is essentially the only qualified domestic source.

French cryogenic equipment manufacturer (HQ Laon, Aisne; Air Liquide Engineering & Construction subsidiary); designs and manufactures vacuum-insulated ISO tank containers, semi-trailers, and storage vessels for liquid helium, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, and LNG transport. CRYOLOR is one of only two major manufacturers (alongside Chart Industries) of the large ISO bulk containers used to transport liquid helium from production sites in Wyoming, Qatar, and Algeria to end users globally. A liquid helium ISO container (40,000 liter capacity; maintains -269°C with multi-layer superinsulation and vacuum jacket) can carry enough helium to serve a major hospital MRI cooling program for 6-12 months. CRYOLOR also manufactures the specialized tank trailers that deliver liquid helium from distribution hubs to hospitals and semiconductor fabs. Air Liquide's ownership of CRYOLOR gives the industrial gas company a captive advantage in cryogenic container logistics.

Linde plc (NYSE/FWB: LIN; HQ Dublin, Ireland; operational HQ Guildford UK; ~$32B revenue 2023) is the world's largest industrial gas company. Linde owns and operates one of the two largest liquid oxygen cryogenic tanker fleets globally — thousands of vacuum-insulated trailers delivering LOX to hospitals, steel mills, chemical plants, and semiconductor fabs in 80+ countries. Linde does not primarily manufacture its own tankers (purchases from Chart Industries and other OEMs) but specifies custom vacuum-insulated designs for its fleet. Linde's medical oxygen business (hospital LOX supply) is the dominant fleet use case. Linde also supplies liquid oxygen rocket propellant to aerospace customers including NASA and commercial launch operators.