As energy prices rose sharply last September, CF Industries suspended fertiliser production in the UK as it was no longer economically viable. However, their manufacturing process also generates 60% of the CO2 used in the UK, primarily supplying the food and drink industry, so the shut-down triggered CO2 shortages across the country. (See previous blog post here).
The UK government negotiated a temporary solution to maintain production of CO2, underpinned by some government funding, but this runs out at the end of January. With the government unlikely to be willing to commit more money to solve the problem, there are now real concerns in the food sector about further CO2 shortages leading to gaps in supermarket shelves in the weeks to come.
