UK hospitals and food producers face CO₂ shortages as plant halts production

Company that produces 60% of country's supplies says high energy prices are forcing planned shutdown

The government has urged CO₂ producers to do everything they can" to meet food and drink industry demand, after one of the UK's largest suppliers confirmed it was going to pause production at a key factory.

CF Industries, the private US company that accounts for 60% of the UK's CO₂ supplies, said soaring energy prices meant it would have to temporarily halt" production at its remaining UK ammonia plant, which creates the gas as a byproduct.