欧洲能源危机的影响已经蔓延到德国啤酒行业。受天然气价格高企等因素影响，德国已出现并可能持续面临碳酸短缺，令多家啤酒生产商和灌装商发愁。

 

A shortage of carbon dioxide is causing German drinks manufacturers to cut production and warn of bankruptcies¹, in the latest sign of how Europe's energy crisis is sending shockwaves through the region's economy.

二氧化碳短缺导致德国饮品制造商减产并发出破产警告，这是能源危机对欧洲经济造成冲击的最新表现。

 

"More and more of the companies in the beverage² industry that depend on the availability of CO₂ are having to significantly reduce their production or stop it altogether," Holger Eichele, head of the German brewers' association, told the Financial Times. "For many of the companies affected³, this has dramatic consequences."

德国酿造业协会负责人霍尔格·埃切勒对英国《金融时报》表示：“越来越多依赖二氧化碳的饮品企业不得不大幅减产，或者完全停产。许多公司因此受到巨大影响。”

 

Carbonic acid is urgently needed in the entire food industry for production and packaging processes. Carbonic acid is formed by the reaction of carbon dioxide and water. Breweries⁴ need them primarily to "preload" tanks, bottles and kegs so that the beer does not come into contact with air during filling and does not foam⁵ during bottling. Many breweries also produce non-alcoholic beverages⁶, which require even more carbonation.

食品工业生产和包装过程都离不开碳酸。二氧化碳和水反应生成碳酸。啤酒厂主要用其“预填充”酒罐、瓶子和酒桶，以便啤酒在灌装过程中不会与空气接触，也不会在装瓶过程中产生泡沫。许多啤酒厂还会生产无酒精饮料，这需要更多的碳酸。

 

However, according to estimates by the Federal Association of the German Food Industry, only 30 to 40 percent of the usual CO2 delivery quantities are currently available. The price of CO₂ has shot up to almost €3,500 per tonne from €100 per tonne a year ago.

然而，德国食品工业联邦协会估测，目前二氧化碳的输送量仅为以往的30%至40%。二氧化碳的价格从一年前的每吨100欧元飙升至每吨近3500欧元。

 

The shortage of CO₂ — a byproduct of ammonia production — has been worsening for months as record gas prices prompt the fertilizer industry to reduce output.

二氧化碳短缺问题持续恶化数月，这是因为天然气价格飙升导致化肥行业减产，而二氧化碳正是化肥生产中的副产品。

 

The connection is: less fertilizer equals less carbon dioxide equals less carbonic acid.

它们之间的联系是：化肥越少，二氧化碳越少，碳酸越少。

 

Wholesale⁷ gas prices in Europe have fallen 44 percent from a record high last month but at €190 per megawatt hour they remain almost six times higher than a year ago.

欧洲天然气批发价格从8月创纪录高位回落，下降44%至190欧元/兆瓦时，但较2021年同期仍高出近六倍。

 

This has prompted some energy-intensive manufacturers to cut output or even shut it down, causing a 2.3 percent drop in eurozone industrial production between June and July — its biggest monthly fall since the pandemic hit in 2020.

一些能源密集型制造商因此减产甚至关闭工厂，导致6至7月欧元区工业生产下降2.3%，这是2020年疫情以来的最大月度降幅。

 

The managing director of the Augsburg brewery⁸ Riegele, Sebastian Priller, says that the situation has worsened significantly since the beginning of the summer. "We also assume that things will get worse rather than better." As long as energy costs remain high or continue to rise, there will be a further shortage.

德国奥格斯堡啤酒厂力格勒总经理塞巴斯蒂安·普里勒表示，夏季开始以来情况明显恶化。“我们认为情况会变得更糟，并不会好转”，只要能源成本居高不下或继续上升，二氧化碳就会进一步缺乏。

 

"And if the breweries run out of carbon dioxide, they can't produce." Planning is currently impossible. "The situation can change every week," says Priller. "At the industry meetings, everyone asks: Where do you get your carbon dioxide from? Do you have another Source?"

普里勒称：“如果啤酒厂的二氧化碳用完了，他们就无法生产。”目前无法制定生产规划。“情况每周都会发生变化。在行业会议上，每个人都会问：你的二氧化碳是从哪里来的？你还有其他渠道吗？”

 

The Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren has already restricted production. "We haven't been making lemonade since last week," says Managing Director Gottfried Csauth. "Because lemonade needs a lot of carbonic acid and we only had small amounts, there was no other way."

Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren公司已经限制生产，该公司总经理戈特弗里德·科萨特说：“从上周开始，我们就停止生产柠檬水了。因为柠檬水需要大量的碳酸，而我们的碳酸原料非常有限，所以我们别无选择。”

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