Beer fear: CO2 shortage could lead to state-backed beer at World Cup
Brits face drinking state-backed beer during the Fifa World Cup as CO2 shortage fears leave breweries and boozers reliant on government gas.
The war in Iran has caused chaos across Gulf shipping lanes with government analysis suggesting a closure of the Strait of Hormuz for a long period of time could lead to shortages of carbon dioxide, a key component to the production of beer.
There are over 1,500 breweries in the UK with the element integral to its production and distribution.
A shortage of CO2 would risk issues in serving the nation’s favourite pints, a drink consumed billions of times across the UK each year.
And the potential shortage comes just months before demand is set to spike when the Fifa World Cup kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Late BST kick-off times mean Britain’s boozers will be stacked with fans cheering on England, Scotland and 46 other nations, with high demand and a lack of CO2 raising fears of rioting Brits at the bar.
Kids may face similar woes with fizzy drinks.
CO2 to cause shortage at World Cup?
The Times reports that senior officials have drawn up contingency plans for a “reasonable worst-case scenario” based on the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed until June.
The government recently agreed to invest £100m into a UK-based CO2 plant amid fears of a shortage of carbon dioxide.
The site in Teesside was mothballed last year but will restart operations given the gas’s key role in both food and drink production.
A BBPA spokesperson said: “Our domestic CO2 supply chain is vital for our brewers and pubs and something we closely monitor.
“While we’re not aware of any imminent issues, we remain in close contact with the Government to highlight any concerns and explore solutions about any indications of potential CO2 disruption or shortage.”
There will be 104 matches across the World Cup with England’s kick-offs ranging from 9pm to 10pm in the group stages.
Scotland’s matches range from 11pm kick-off times to 2am, with the nation’s First Minister John Swinney proclaiming a bank holiday on 15 June after the national team qualified for their first World Cup this century.
The opening match, between Mexico and South Africa, kicks off on 11 June, with the final on 19 July.