German firm ETW Energietechnik GmbH has developed technology that can blend two gas streams of different qualities to fuel CHPs. ETW said the equipment ’precisely blends the two gases to a homogeneous fuel mixture’. This makes the technology ideally suited for landfills that struggle with shrinking heating values and volumes
The value of sales in the Scottish commercial property market has increased by £200 million in the second quarter of 2016 to £819m despite a 13 per cent fall in investment values to £382m, according to new statistics. Investment figures from CoStar UK and sales figures from Registers of Scotland, which have
Willmott Residential has been given the green light for a 188-home development in north London. The firm’s residential sales brand Prime Place has been given approval for its Millbrook Park development in Mill Hill, Barnet. The 1.1 ha site will deliver 159 homes for private sale and 29 homes for
German firm ETW Energietechnik GmbH has developed technology that can blend two gas streams of different qualities to fuel CHPs. ETW said the equipment ’precisely blends the two gases to a homogeneous fuel mixture’. This makes the technology ideally suited for landfills that struggle with shrinking heating values and volumes of biogas along their lifetime the firm said.. This shrinking heating value can be compensated by gradually enriching biogas with natural gas (NG). The blending is completely automated and designed to consume the lowest possible amounts of natural gas. Almost any CHP can easily be upgraded, ETW said. There are several advantages for the operator, ETW adds. At startups the CHP receives a perfectly balanced fuel mixture, preventing startup problems often caused by low CH4 concentration. “This enables the operation of CHPs even with CH4 concentration lower than 30%,increasing its lifetime and availability, and thus its economic feasibility. The CHP can be operated independently from the land-fill gas supply.”
The value of sales in the Scottish commercial property market has increased by £200 million in the second quarter of 2016 to £819m despite a 13 per cent fall in investment values to £382m, according to new statistics. Investment figures from CoStar UK and sales figures from Registers of Scotland, which have been analysed by the Scottish Property Federation, show a continuation of the overall downward trend in investment transactions since the end of 2014. Edinburgh delivered the highest value of sales across Scotland, worth £223m, an increase of 68 per cent from the seasonally low Q1 figure of £132m. Glasgow also had a strong quarter with total sales of £197m, including some significant retail deals in the city centre. The Aberdeen market rallied somewhat, as it continues to readjust in light of the changes in the energy industry since autumn 2014. The value of sales doubled to £51m in Q2 from £25m in the previous quarter, when the Granite City was outperformed by Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and Fife. Of the £382m of sales classed as investment, the office sector saw the bulk of investment in the quarter with around £205m worth of deals, while retail received £120m. Industrial investment came in at around £20m and around £40m can be attributed to mixed use deals and other commercial transactions. Last month analysis from Knight Frank revealed a robust take-up of deals in Edinburgh’s commercial property market despite subdued market sentiment while the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) also reported a significant drop in confidence and investor demand following the Brexit outcome. David Melhuish, director of the Scottish Property Federation, called for the Scottish Governmentand industry to address the downward trend of inward investment. He said: “We generally expect an increase in activity in the second quarter of the year after the traditionally low post-Christmas period, and it is good to see that sales held up in the run up to the EU referendum. The continued downwards movement of the investment market should not be overlooked though, and is a trend that is likely to continue into the next quarter. “Scotland’s commercial property market relies considerably on inward investment, and as we face an ongoing period of uncertainty, it is more important than ever that government and industry work together to encourage investment in our sector, which is a significant contributor to the Scottish economy.”
Willmott Residential has been given the green light for a 188-home development in north London. The firm’s residential sales brand Prime Place has been given approval for its Millbrook Park development in Mill Hill, Barnet. The 1.1 ha site will deliver 159 homes for private sale and 29 homes for affordable rent. Prime Place managing director Brian Brady said: “Millbrook Park is an ideal fit for Prime Place’s strategy of providing outstanding homes in popular locations and close to excellent transport links. “We are delighted to achieve approval from Barnet Council and anticipate starting work on site very soon.” Willmott Residential launched in May, after Willmott Dixon merged its two residential divisions into one. Willmott Dixon had operated separate housing and regeneration businesses, but the two were combined to form Willmott Residential. The regeneration arm includes private rented sector specialist be:here and Prime Place, which develops homes for sale. Elsewhere, Prime Place is working with Westminster City Council to create leisure facilities at no cost to the council through cross-funding the creation of 156 homes. Be:here is finalising 118 PRS homes at the Old Vinyl Factory site in Hayes and has planning permission for nearly 600 homes in Barking. Construction News understands Willmott Dixon is considering floating its residential business to raise capital and significantly expand the division. An IPO is understood to be the preferred option, although the company has not ruled out a sale of the business, with a decision expected at the end of the year.