CO₂ Supply Shortage: Unpacking the Crisis and Exploring Potential Solutions

skytree tech ^ | 2025 | Staff

[yesthatjallen]

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has a marketing problem. Everyone knows we have too much of it in the atmosphere but it also has a number of uses in everyday society. Currently the US Southeast is readying to cope with or already in the throes of an acute CO₂ shortage, exacerbated by the temporary shutdown of a plant critical to the CO₂ supply in the region. The Hopewell plant in Virginia is scheduled to undergo maintenance from late September, potentially causing a massive impact on CO₂ supply for up to eight weeks.

The shortage has far-reaching implications: disrupting supply chains, increasing product costs, and threatening the viability of several essential services. This comes at a time when the world is facing unprecedented shortages of CO₂ - a critical resource for various industries ranging from food and beverage to healthcare and manufacturing.

Understanding the CO₂ supply shortage

At its core, the shortage of CO₂ is a result of an acute mismatch between supply and demand, worsened by “incidents” like maintenance shutdowns, contaminants in raw gas, gas price spikes and supply chain disruptions caused during the pandemic which haven’t been resuscitated and so on. It’s also important to remember that most of the CO₂ bought and sold on the market is a byproduct of other processes and industries, namely ethanol and ammonia production, oil refineries and geological sources. Together these make up the four primary sources that are certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

SNIP

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TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: carbondioxide; co2

[yesthatjallen]

Why America is Running Out of CO2 (11 mins)

[BenLurkin]

Stopped reading at: “Everyone knows we have too much of it in the atmosphere...”

[butlerweave]

Ya ,0.04% , laughable

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Stopped reading at: “Everyone knows we have too much of it in the atmosphere...”

Mega Dittos

[Disambiguator]

Why don’t they go get it from those giant outfits that are sucking it out of the atmosphere?

[Flycatcher]

Stopped reading at: “Everyone knows we have too much of it in the atmosphere...”

Not only did I stop reading, but I put my iPhone down and started watching Beachfront Bargain Hunt on TV.

But in short order, I picked up my phone, went back to Free Republic, and saw your post. So I posted in response, as is evidenced by what you’re reading now.

Now, feeling fulfilled, I shall return to Beachfront Bargain Hunt.

[sopo]

I kept reading when I saw a 12 pack of soda “on sale” for $6.99.

[Da Coyote]

“Stopped reading at: “Everyone knows we have too much of it in the atmosphere...”

Hmmm, silly me, since I actually believe the CO2 level charts that show it from a few millions of years ago until today - and right now it’s just barely above the lowest level that we’ve measuread and that’s just barely enough to allow plants to survive. Gooe grief, I wish those folks would try to read “Watt’s Up with That”.

[T-Bird45]

Here in OK, CO2 is piped from a refinery in southern KS to an oilfield as an injection gas to maintain pressure in the oil-bearing strata to lengthen the productive life of the wells. A win for all.

[Pocketdoor]

Yep we have too dang much....

As of late 2024/late 2025, the concentration of carbon dioxide (\(\text{CO}_{2}\)) in the Earth’s atmosphere is approximately 427 parts per million (ppm), which is about 0.043% of the total atmosphere by volume.

I think we need more... gotta keep them trees alive.
Oxygen makes up about 21%

[Don W]

Starting with a blatant lie is a good way to end any interest in your article.

[BlueStateRightist]

“I think we need more... gotta keep them trees alive. Oxygen makes up about 21%.”

Amazing how our photosynthesizing cohabitants do so much more with so much less.

[redgolum]

I smell BS.

CO2 is a byproduct of fermentation, and at times vented.

[Freedom4US]

“Everyone knows we have too much of it in the atmosphere”

Sure, Jan

[bigbob]

Tallgrasss Energy just converted a redundant gas pipeline that will transport waste CO2 from ethanol plants in Nebraska to storage areas in Colorado. There’s a market.

[jjotto]

Hopewell produces fuel ethanol; CO2 is a byproduct. There were bottlers before there was fuel ethanol production.