We were given stark reminders once again in September 2021, of the vulnerabilities in the carbon dioxide (CO2) supply chain in Europe.
Against the backdrop of soaring (and sustained) natural gas prices, intolerable pressures were placed on the energy sector and various industries in Europe. Among them, the fertiliser business found its margins compromised and operations unprofitable. Widespread plant closures quickly took hold and as fertiliser capacities fell like dominoes across Europe, so too was the capacity for CO2 production and supply.
A combination of UK government interventions and the collective efforts of the CO2 sector largely curtailed a crisis that was brewing in the UK in particular, but the shots across the bows of a fragile supply chain had already been fired. Though CO2 is not currently in shortage, these dynamics remain in play today, at the time of writing, and this remains a volatile supply chain.
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