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16 min ago 2 min read
The UK government’s on domestic carbon dioxide (CO2) supply resilience is set to close Thursday evening (20 August).
The scope focuses on strengthening the resilience of the supply chain for food and medical-grade CO2 certified by the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) and the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), used across various sectors, including critical national infrastructure.
The call is open to industry, trade associations, consumer groups, academia, and other stakeholders.
It has reignited a long-running over how the UK’s CO2 market should diversify its supply base to become more resilient.
The debate also extends beyond the need for greater resilience, focusing instead on the level and type of policy intervention required to achieve it.
Simon Barker, Commercial Director at Pro Gases UK, told gasworld, “[The] government is finally saying out loud what the industry has known for years.
“[CO2] supply is import dependent, concentrated in the hands of a few, and at points hostage to markets with no interest in whether the UK keeps key sectors supplied.”
In previous years, CO2 supply shortages have repeatedly caught the UK market off guard, leading to government intervention following several .
As a result of supply chain fragility, the government will now assess market-led options to diversify CO2 supply and improve transparency across the value chain in preparation for future CO2 market disruption.
For Barker, “The real test is whether this [call] produces measures with teeth, or another evidence base that gathers dust until the next crisis.”
