Supermarket shelves depleted of soda water and soft drink amid low supply of carbon dioxide

The supply of soft drinks has been affected by the CO2 shortage. (ABC News: Adam Griffiths)

Supermarket shelves have been left depleted of soft drink supplies because of a shortage of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Major supplier BOC said in a statement it was experiencing a “short-term CO2 supply shortage on the east coast of Australia”.

“This is due to supply interruptions from several local CO2 sources and issues impacting international freight for imported CO2 product.”

However the ABC understands it is unclear how long the shortage will last.

Empty shelves at Coles and Woolworths have prompted customers to ask what’s happening to their favourite brands of soda water and soft drinks.

A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed the shortage and said the company was providing alternatives.

“Shortages of CO2 have impacted the supply of some soft drinks in our stores,” the spokesperson said.

“We are working to manage these impacts and a number of alternative products are available to customers while these shortages continue.”

About 20 Woolworths brand soft drinks have been affected by the CO2 shortage.

Coles soft drink supplies have also been impacted and the company said it was working closely with suppliers.

“We are working with our suppliers to minimise the impacts for our customers, and we hope to have products back on our shelves as soon as possible. In the meantime, we have increased our stock of alternative drinks,” Coles said in a statement.

Customers are being kept informed about the shortage via in-store signage at Coles.

Supply chain impact

A company that produces and distributes industrial gases such as carbon dioxide, Air Liquide, has confirmed it was facing a major disruption in sourcing CO2, particularly in New South Wales.

The company said in a statement the disruption was “as a result of a planned maintenance shutdown at the source location”.

“Air Liquide planned for this anticipated disruption and to date has minimised impact to its customers. Nonetheless, the CO2 situation remains tight and Air Liquide continues to monitor and manage its storage and supply chain.”

BOC said it was prioritising supplies for medical, safety and water treatment customers.

“We are working collaboratively with customers, our CO2 suppliers and other industry stakeholders to manage the situation,” it said in a statement.

BOC is building a new CO2 processing facility in Victoria, expected to be operational in the second half of 2024 with the capacity to produce 60,000 tonnes of beverage-grade liquid CO2 annually, it said.