09/28/2022
Update to Shortages Affecting Airgas Product Percentage Allocations to Brown
Please be advised that the Force Majeure levels on dry ice are going from 70% to 50%. This is due to continued strains within the supply chain.
Please also note that Airgas' liquid nitrogen fill plant has been shut down in Warwick for an undetermined amount of time. Airgas has indicated that they have the ability to overcome this shortfall, however it will create a lag in the supply chain. This means that your liquid nitrogen orders will have a 48-72 hour lead time, as opposed to next day delivery.
9/22/2022
There is currently a national shortage of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in the U.S due to several factors that are beyond Airgas’ reasonable control. As a result, Airgas, Brown’s primary supplier of CO2, has alerted us that its contracts are now under Force Majeure, which means that due to this unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance, Airgas cannot guarantee that they can fully meet their contractual requirements to Brown regarding the delivery of CO2.
During this period of Force Majeure, which Airgas estimates may continue through the middle of October of this year, Airgas is able to obtain substitute product from other available sources to be allocated between all customers in an effort to mitigate the effect of the Force Majeure. Because Airgas is obtaining alternative product outside its normal supply, any product you receive will be subject to a temporary surcharge. Airgas estimates that it may be able to provide you with up to 70% of your normal monthly product consumption based on the average monthly volume of product delivered to you for the prior three months (May – July 2022).
SPCI and BioMed are working closely with Airgas during this time, and they have assured us that they will do everything in their power to fill critical needs on an emergency basis. Prioritizing critical needs on campus is the best way to ensure that Brown gets the most critical supplies delivered, as soon as supplies are available. Please direct any questions or concerns to [email protected]. For Biomed-specific issues, such as any area getting to a low critical situation, please email [email protected] so that tanks can be expedited accordingly.