Recent upstream disruptions in the southeastern United States have exposed the fragility of North America’s beverage-grade CO2 supply.

While supply has been relatively stable in most parts of the country for the past few years, many users of beverage grade CO2 in the southeastern U.S. are currently dealing with force majeures, unreliable delivery schedules, strict supplier allocations, and highly volatile pricing. 

The long-term outlook for the consistent supply of beverage grade CO2 is expected to remain volatile in the near future for many parts of the U.S. According to Gasworld, structural risks remain. Ammonia and hydrogen production economics, refinery operating rates, maintenance activity, transport and distribution constraints, regional supply concentration, and growing carbon-management demand continue to influence supply reliability. 

Below are links that provide easy access to Brewers Association resources that will help brewers prepare for and respond to potential disruptions in the supply of this critical product that serves both as an ingredient and process aid in the brewery. 

Maximize Efficiency 

Is Your Brewery Using CO2 Efficiently? Ensure your brewery is getting the most value per pound by using our calculator and comparing your use to your peers. 

How To Tune Up Your CO2 System for Max Efficiency. Get the most out of your supply. 

Contract Considerations When Changing Suppliers 

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Contracting. Unlike hops and malt, CO2 is used by a much broader range of industries causing the availability of supply to be at a higher risk. Contracting is a smart way to manage that risk. 

Quality Considerations When Changing Suppliers 

Understanding and Ensuring CO2 Supply Quality for Brewery Use. Brewers have a role in ensuring their CO2 supply is free from contaminants and appropriately handled in the brewery. 

Understanding Future Trends 

U.S. Merchant Carbon Dioxide Demand, Supply and Trends. This seminar provides an overview of the CO2 supply chain and presents a five-year supply-and-demand outlook. 

Safety, New Technologies, and More 

Brewing CO2: A ‘Supercritical’ Ingredient, Utility, and Byproduct. This four-part series covers a wide range of topics from safety and monitoring to new processes and technologies that can conserve or replace CO2. 

Protecting the CO2 Supply Chain 

The Brewers Association participates in a coalition that seeks to protect the CO2 supply chain. That coalition secured legislation last year putting CO2 re-use on parity with carbon sequestration for federal tax purposes. Work on implementing this law change is ongoing.