While CO2 shortages are making the headlines, broader concerns over the price of fertiliser could lead to a rethink when it comes to food production in the future. Nick Peksa reports. This article first appeared in ESM's November/December 2021 edition.
Once again, Europe is facing severe CO2 shortages. The shortage first occurred in the UK, when three out of the four major CO2 producers closed their production facilities. This was compounded further when five European manufacturers also took their production capacities offline.
In the UK, the government has stepped in and delayed the crisis until early 2022 by providing some support to one of the major producers, to ensure a restart of production in the short term, whilst alternative CO2 sources are developed.