With current commercial demand of CO2 just about equal to current demand levels, even a slight disruption in supply could trigger another shortage for small brewers. With seasonal maintenance by CO2 manufacturers typically scheduled for the fall months, the Brewers Association is warning craft brewers that there could be “significant disruptions” to CO2 supply in coming months.
According to the BA, several major producers of CO2 are scheduled to perform major maintenance operations in this fall. The southeast U.S. may be hit particularly hard, with major downtime scheduled at two large production facilities in Virginia and Georgia.
Demand for CO2 is projected to grow 2% annually during the next five years, with supply growing at a slower rate.
The BA has said that they are “is taking a two-pronged approach to address issues with CO2 supply. BA Senior Director of Federal Affairs Katie Marisic is working with the CO2 Solutions Coalition, a group of suppliers and end users who are working to educate Congress and the administration about the uses of CO2, to ensure that current producers of CO2 can access available credits and have incentives to continue providing food- and beverage-grade CO2 to end users like breweries and other beverage companies. Marisic is also exploring possible incentives for breweries and other small beverage producers who install and maintain CO2 capture and reuse equipment.”