A surge in interest for speciality and performance films is on the horizon, figures suggest. Brought about through increasing growth within the flexible packaging and solar energy industries, it is expected that there will be an interested interest in, and focus upon new films which are able to offer enhanced
It has recently been highlighted by Ofgem that DNOs should follow in the footsteps of Western Power Distribution in a bid to develop the operational capacities of their grids. The call-out to other DNOs has been made after recognition for Western Power Distribution’s move towards maximising the capacity it has
Nodding to the increasing importance for expansive, affordable housing assets to solve the modern-day housing crisis, circa £25m has recently been made available through the newly announced Rural Housing Fund. Expected to support the delivery of increased long-term, affordable housing assets in the countryside, the fund looks to provide grant-based
It has just been confirmed that Mace will take its place as main contractor for the 2nd phase of East Village, a development sitting by East London’s Olympic Park – a very enviable location positioned in the old Athletes’ Village area used for London 2012. Already playing host to some
Liebherr is a leader. The industry knows that. That’s why the company accounts for such a high amount of new mobile crane purchases (to the tune of 40%) in the UK. Yet, not everyone has enjoyed the chance to work with Liebherr and Crowland Cranes of Peterborough is one of
Plans for a community-owned wind farm in Cornwall have been submitted by UK-based, green energy proponent, Good Energy. If approved, it will be one of few in the nation that doesn’t rely on either financial backing or government subsidies and could mark the dawning of a new era in renewables
A surge in interest for speciality and performance films is on the horizon, figures suggest. Brought about through increasing growth within the flexible packaging and solar energy industries, it is expected that there will be an interested interest in, and focus upon new films which are able to offer enhanced mechanical and aesthetic value for customers brought about through new, innovative production techniques. With packaging sector professionals taking a great step forward from more traditional means of production, organisations are now increasingly being seen to incorporate advanced technologies and develop new, innovative methods of producing packaging as backed by notable growth in the wider industry. Of the new, innovative products brought to the market as a result, performance, speciality films are of the most prominent, with such films boasting improved protection in ensuring that products such as perishable items remain undamaged. Additionally, the films have also been shown to bring considerable benefits for with Solar PV and other electrical goods due to conductivity levels. In an official report put out there by Transparency Market Research, it has been highlighted that these films are on the brink of extreme market interest, with a projected value of the performance films market sitting at $42.21 at the close of 2019. And while the growth up until this point is naturally expected to be a steady increase, those organisations involved in the production of performance and speciality films are expected to be provided with ample opportunity to take advantage of the increasingly dominating market. In other areas of film development, research and development has been conducted with the view to bringing water-soluble films to the market also, offering a highly sustainable solution for green-conscious companies. That said, performance films are presently reliant upon crude oil production, which remains less friendly towards the environment. This, as a result, means the market may remain fairly volatile as a result of regular changes in oil pricing as well as the public’s view of the industry. And so, looking forward, the challenge to put to manufacturers of such films is quite clearly to find a way to combine the best of both worlds and, if this can be achieved, success can, in turn, be all but assured.
It has recently been highlighted by Ofgem that DNOs should follow in the footsteps of Western Power Distribution in a bid to develop the operational capacities of their grids. The call-out to other DNOs has been made after recognition for Western Power Distribution’s move towards maximising the capacity it has within its grids through the provision of flexible connections to renewable developers. As of right now, Western Power Distribution has queued approximately 7.6GW of generators, which some 4.8GW of that comprising of solar panel schemes set to improve the ratio between renewable and non-renewable energy sources – something which is widely regarded as a positive step forward in ensuring the sustainable future of the market. Most specifically, Ofgem nodded to Western Power Distribution’s reconfiguration of subsections of the grid to allow for connections to be made far more swiftly, as well as how the organisation has been pioneering the usage of flexible connections, such that generators commit to cutting their output during period of considerable demand without any form of compensation to then be reconnected. Additionally, as a result of the increasing size of the renewable energy market, Ofgem has also called for DNOs to also look into new methods through which they may be able to deliver further capacity and improve the speed of connections; this is primarily to be through the use of funding in price controls. Presently, Ofgem has also been assessing schemes put forward by DNOs to facilitate investment. Dermot Nolan, Chief Executive of Ofgem commented: “We want DNOs to take creative approaches to speeding up renewable connections,” then adding that such organisations should also be looking to enable earlier investment into expanding capacity where necessary, allowing for a minimisation of energy bills across the board. Additionally, it has been stated that Ofgem has also issued a consultation to collate feedback from renewable generators on how well they feel that DNOs are actually communicating with potential network customers.
Nodding to the increasing importance for expansive, affordable housing assets to solve the modern-day housing crisis, circa £25m has recently been made available through the newly announced Rural Housing Fund. Expected to support the delivery of increased long-term, affordable housing assets in the countryside, the fund looks to provide grant-based financial support for both the construction of new housing and also of developing existing properties into suitable housing. Effectively, the fund can be defined by two different mediums of support. The primary purpose of the fund is to offer direct support through loans and grants as aforementioned, however access will also be provided to an additional feasibility fund of up to £10,000 which will exist to provide property developers with the ability to assess prospective schemes whilst then also developing full, proper applications for the main funding on offer. This, in effect, allows developers at various stages, both those already invested in the area, and those looking to develop into new, “unknown” areas, to have a degree of support and protection for their endeavours. As mentioned, levels of support is also to be made accessible for the redevelopment of existing, empty properties and also the use-conversion of non-residential properties into that of residential housing asset; the properties then to be placed on the market for either rent or sale, provided that it is at an affordable level. As for who will be eligible for the fund itself, it has been confirmed that the support will be accessible to legally constituted bodies, including development trusts, housing trusts, developers and landowners; collaboration is also encouraged between these relevant different parties in a bid to support a robust approach to delivering the much-needed housing assets. Commenting on the importance of the fund in supporting the development of such properties in the countryside, Margaret Burgess, Housing Minister commented that: “We know building affordable housing in rural areas presents different challenges compared to urban areas.” As such, the fun is positions to provided this stream of support to make up the difference in commercial viability between the two different geographic archetypes.
It has just been confirmed that Mace will take its place as main contractor for the 2nd phase of East Village, a development sitting by East London’s Olympic Park – a very enviable location positioned in the old Athletes’ Village area used for London 2012. Already playing host to some 6,000 residents across 2,818 residential properties, the project looks to expand upon the residential capacity of the area in line with the original 2005 Stratford City Masterplan. Due for completion over the course of 2018, the project itself includes a 30 storey and 26 storey tower, with Qatari Diar and Delancey positioned as joint developers in the structure of the project. Upon completion, the residential assets are to be managed by Get Living London to ensure that the assets available are utilised to their maximum potential. Nodding to the appointment of Mace to the phase, a spokesperson commented for Qatari Diar Delancey, highlighting the hard, quality work displayed by Mace over the course of London 2012’s Paralympic and Olympic games as well as the LLDC’s transformation at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. “We are looking forward to seeing how the team brings this expertise and local knowledge to these new homes in East Village,” commented the spokesperson. Building from a strong foundation of residential success already present in the area, the project, and Mace’s work most specifically, is expected to build further upon the “residential legacy” already achieved in the local area by Qatari Diar Delancey and, as such, Mace maintains a positive outlook on the opportunity to deliver on the project. Having already been working in the area from London 2012 at its very inception, the project also highlights Mace’s invested interest in the area, with Mace’s Chief Executive, Mark Reynolds commenting that the project, “Forms an important party of a legacy that is very close to our hearts.”
Liebherr is a leader. The industry knows that. That’s why the company accounts for such a high amount of new mobile crane purchases (to the tune of 40%) in the UK. Yet, not everyone has enjoyed the chance to work with Liebherr and Crowland Cranes of Peterborough is one of those companies. Serving the UK with used crane sales and service requirements for over three and a half decades, Crowland has historically steered clear of brand new cranes. That is until now. Over the past decade, Crowland has experienced successful growth and sees its latest investment as a way to continue that progress. It approached Liebherr with its requirements – as managing director Peter Issitt says, Crowland required a “versatile” crane that enabled it to offer customers something “a little different” – and was recommended the compact LTC 1050-3.1 mobile crane. The LTC 1050-3.1 is definitely “a little different”. Liebherr calls it “unusual” with its all-terrain three-axle chassis but sporting only one cab. The vehicle can travel on the UK’s roads thanks to its front position which is then raised thanks to a hydraulic arm for its core operations. Flexible in nature, the cab can be raised when lifting while offering a 20 degree tilt for ease-of-operation. Liebherr attests that it can work as a traditional 50-tonne crane for all terrains or as either a city crane with its unique compactness or industrial crane with its impressive turning circle of 6.1 metres. This – in its full specification profile – has now been added to the Crowland fleet at its Norwich depot. This means Crowland’s customers have access to a far-reaching two-fold swing-away fly jib with integrated assembly jib, extending the crane’s reach to an impressive 36 metres Crowland’s managing director said the company has developed a strong bond with Liebherr and that the whole experienced of buying from them was a positive one. He is eager to see the relationship continue in the future with additional Liebherr units added to the fleet over time.
Plans for a community-owned wind farm in Cornwall have been submitted by UK-based, green energy proponent, Good Energy. If approved, it will be one of few in the nation that doesn’t rely on either financial backing or government subsidies and could mark the dawning of a new era in renewables technologies. The project will see the construction of 11 turbines with a generating capacity of 38.5MW near Bude in Cornwall. It is currently being considered by the Planning Inspectorate and will be reviewed in respect of is local impact, as well as global impact. Good Energy has remained open-minded about investment into the project, dubbed “Big Field Wind Farm”, and hopes the project will be be majority-held by local investors and residents. Juliet Davenport, Founder and CEO of Good Energy described plans as a “bold and innovative response” to last year’s Autumn Statement and Spending Review which has had disastrous consequence for the renewables sector. She continued to say that it would provide local people that opportunity to do their bit for the sustainability agenda, as well as representing great financial reward. With local ownership, all of the wind farm’s turnover will remain in the area and can be re-invested in the development of Cornwall. Back in 2014, plans were rejected by planners owing to the lack of clarity on government spending. Designs has since been re-drawn and will see the site increase its generating capacity by 50% whilst retaining the maximum height of the turbines at a proportionate small 125m. The revised plans also detail how the farm will be self-sufficient, operating exclusively on the payback from electricity generated. “Big Field Wind Farm” is hoped to provide power to over 22,000 homes local to the region. The concept of community ownership came in acknowledgement of the findings of a public opinion poll last September. The survey found that three quarters of all UK households were keen to support renewable energy projects providing profits directly benefited the local community.
