If you run a restaurant, brewery, or food production line in Europe or the UK, you’ve probably felt it already: CO2 orders taking longer to fill, suppliers rationing volume, or prices creeping up with no clear end date. This isn’t a one-off blip. Reports through 2026 confirm a fresh round of CO2 shortage across Europe, and it’s arriving at one of the worst possible times — right in the middle of peak summer demand and the FIFA World Cup 2026 season.
This article breaks down why the shortage is happening, which industries are most exposed, and what businesses are doing right now to keep their supply chains running — including how to line up a backup CO2 supplier before the situation gets worse.
Why Is There a CO2 Shortage in 2026?
The root cause isn’t really about CO2 at all — it’s about natural gas.
Most of Europe’s commercial-grade and beverage-grade CO2 doesn’t come from dedicated CO2 plants. It’s a byproduct of ammonia and fertilizer production, which relies heavily on natural gas as a feedstock. When natural gas prices rise, ammonia plants become uneconomical to run, and operators scale back or pause production. Less ammonia means less CO2 — even though CO2 was never the main product to begin with.
In 2026, several factors have pushed natural gas prices up at once:
- Middle East tensions — disruption linked to the Iran conflict and shipping risk through the Strait of Hormuz have added pressure on European energy markets
- High TTF gas prices — once European gas benchmark prices climb past a certain threshold, marginal ammonia production simply stops being worth running
- Seasonal maintenance shutdowns — summer is typically when fertilizer plants schedule downtime, which normally overlaps with lower demand — except this year, demand hasn’t dropped
The result: a gas supply squeeze that’s hitting CO2 output at exactly the moment beverage and food producers need it most.
Who’s Feeling the Squeeze?
Breweries and pubs — CO2 is essential for carbonation and draught beer systems. With the World Cup 2026 driving up demand for beer and soft drinks across UK pubs and EU bars, any disruption to beverage grade CO2 supply hits hospitality businesses directly, right when footfall is highest.
Soft drinks and bottling plants — carbonated drinks manufacturers depend on a steady, certified CO2 feed. Even short gaps in supply can stall a production line.
Food processors — CO2 isn’t just about bubbles. It’s used in food packaging (MAP packaging) to extend shelf life, and in meat and poultry processing. A prolonged shortage risks slowing down processing lines that have no easy substitute.
Restaurants — smaller venues relying on single-cylinder CO2 delivery for soda systems and draught taps are often the last to get prioritized when larger commercial gas suppliers ration supply to their biggest accounts first.
What Businesses Are Doing About It
The businesses handling this shortage best aren’t the ones scrambling after their current order falls through — they’re the ones who lined up a second option in advance. A few patterns are emerging:
1. Diversifying supplier relationships. Relying on a single source is the biggest point of failure right now. Businesses are actively looking beyond their usual commercial gas suppliers to find partners with independent or diversified sourcing — not everyone tied to the same overstretched fertilizer-plant supply chain.
2. Locking in supply agreements early. Rather than ordering reactively, more restaurants and breweries are setting up standing supply arrangements — a fixed delivery schedule with a best gas supplier relationship, instead of one-off spot purchases at whatever price is available that week.
3. Reviewing cylinder stock levels. Businesses using gas cylinders supplier arrangements are holding slightly more buffer stock than usual — a small safety margin so a delayed delivery doesn’t mean an empty tap or a stalled bottling line.
4. Asking suppliers about sourcing transparency. More procurement teams are asking a very direct question before signing anything: where does your CO2 actually come from, and what happens to my order if one plant goes down? Suppliers with clear answers are winning business.
How Infiinite Distribution Can Help
We supply certified beverage grade CO2 supply to restaurants, breweries, and food manufacturers across Europe and the UK, alongside nitrogen, oxygen, and argon for broader industrial needs. Because we manage our own logistics and compliance documentation in-house — rather than depending on a single upstream source — we’re able to offer more consistent lead times even while the wider market is under pressure.
If your current supplier has started rationing orders, extending lead times, or raising prices without explanation, it may be time to line up a second, dependable option before the shortage deepens further.
→ Talk to us about bulk CO2 supply across Europe → See our CO2 supply program for restaurants and breweries
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there a CO2 shortage in Europe in 2026?
High natural gas prices — driven partly by Middle East supply disruption — have made ammonia and fertilizer production uneconomical for some plants to run. Since CO2 is a byproduct of that process, reduced ammonia output has directly cut CO2 supply across Europe.
How long will the CO2 shortage last?
It depends on natural gas prices and how quickly affected plants resume full production. Past shortages of this kind have typically lasted from a few weeks to a few months, though this one is compounded by seasonal demand from the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Which businesses are most affected by the CO2 shortage?
Breweries, pubs, soft drinks manufacturers, and food processors relying on CO2 for carbonation or packaging are the most exposed — especially smaller venues without existing backup supply arrangements.
How can my business avoid running out of CO2?
Set up a relationship with a second supplier before your current one runs into trouble, keep a small buffer of cylinder stock, and ask any potential supplier directly about where their CO2 is sourced from.
Does Infiinite Distribution supply CO2 during the current shortage?
Yes. We supply certified beverage-grade and industrial CO2 across Europe and the UK, with ADR-compliant logistics and flexible delivery schedules for both bulk and cylinder orders. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
