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CO₂ Supply Context
The backbone of US CO₂ supply — and its biggest vulnerability. CleanCycleCarbon is building the alternative.
Ethanol fermentation plants are the single largest source of merchant CO₂ in the United States, accounting for roughly 30-40% of total supply. The process is efficient: for every gallon of ethanol produced, approximately 6.3 pounds of high-purity CO₂ is generated as a byproduct.
But dependence on ethanol-sourced CO₂ creates structural risk. Ethanol production is seasonal (following the corn harvest), geographically concentrated (overwhelmingly in the Midwest), and economically sensitive (tied to fuel demand, corn prices, and Renewable Fuel Standard mandates). When ethanol production dips, CO₂ supply drops with it — and buyers across the country feel the impact.
The 2022 CO₂ shortage was partly caused by seasonal ethanol plant shutdowns coinciding with other supply disruptions. The market had no buffer because it was too concentrated.
Corn ethanol production peaks during and after harvest season. Off-season maintenance shutdowns reduce output precisely when accumulated inventory is running low.
Most ethanol plants are in the Midwest corn belt. Southeast, West Coast, and Northeast buyers depend on long-haul transportation, adding cost and supply chain risk.
Ethanol production volume responds to fuel demand, corn prices, and policy changes. CO₂ supply is a byproduct — when ethanol economics shift, CO₂ buyers have no leverage.
CleanCycleCarbon is not trying to replace ethanol as a CO₂ source — ethanol plants will remain a critical part of the supply chain. Instead, we are building complementary capacity from different feedstocks in different geographies, so the market is less vulnerable to single-source disruptions.
Our proprietary cryogenic process captures CO₂ from renewable natural gas upgraders, dairy biogas digesters, landfill gas facilities, and other industrial sources. These sources operate year-round, are distributed across the country, and their CO₂ output is not tied to corn economics.
The result is a more resilient, more geographically diverse domestic CO₂ supply chain that complements ethanol-sourced CO₂ instead of depending on it.
| Ethanol CO₂ | CleanCycleCarbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonality | Follows corn harvest cycle | Year-round, continuous |
| Geography | Concentrated in Midwest | Distributed nationally |
| Economic driver | Fuel demand & corn prices | Industrial emissions (always present) |
| Supply predictability | Fluctuates with ethanol economics | Stable, site-specific |
| Purity | High (fermentation is clean) | Beverage grade (99.9%, FDA registered) |
Roughly 30-40% of total merchant CO₂ supply. It's the single largest source, which is precisely why concentration risk is a concern.
It's seasonal (corn harvest), geographically concentrated (Midwest), and economically sensitive (tied to fuel demand and corn prices). When production dips, CO₂ supply drops nationally.
Our technology can work with any CO₂-rich emissions, but we focus on underserved sources — RNG upgraders, dairy digesters, landfill gas — where CO₂ is currently vented. This adds genuinely new capacity rather than competing for existing feedstock.
Diversify your CO₂ supply chain with a new domestic source that operates year-round.