Tag Archives: press-releases
UK Statistics Show Bioenergy Production Increased In Q2
By Erin Voegele | November 07, 2013 The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change has released updated energy trend statistics, showing that the share of renewable electricity generated in the U.K. increased from 9.7 percent during the second quarter of 2012 to 15.5 percent in the second quarter of 2013. While the share of renewables increased in the second quarter of this year, total electricity generated fell by 2.7 percent when compared to the same period of 2012. The quarterly data shows that 1.55 million metric tons of oil equivalent fuel was used by the bioenergy sector to produce electricity during the second quarter of 2013, up from 1.38 million metric tons of oil equivalent in the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2012 and 2011, a respective 1.14 million metric tons of oil equivalent and 1.07 million metric tons of oil equivalent was used by the bioenergy sector to produce electricity. During the quarter, the bioenergy producers generated 5.2 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, up from 4.3 TWh in the first quarter of the year. Bioenergy producers generated a respective 3.29 TWh and 3.02 TWh of electricity during the second quarters of 2012 and 2011. U.K generating companies produced 82.98 TWh of electricity during the second quarter. In addition to the 5.2 TWh from bioenergy sources, U.K. power producers generated 29.05 TWh from coal, 0.65 TWh from oil, 23.63 from gas, 15.47 TWh from nuclear, 0.97 TWh from natural flow hydro, 6.65 TWh from wind and solar (of which 2.47 TWh was offshore), 0.69 TWh from pumped storage and 0.66 TWh from other fuels. Continue reading
Cost Of Farmland Rising Faster Than Housing: Arable Land Prices Up 10.7% In A Year Compared To 3.4% For Property
By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 23:54, 29 October 2013 | UPDATED: 00:06, 30 October 2013 Read more: http://www.dailymail…l#ixzz2jgAZE1P9 The price of farmland is rising faster than property for the first time in nearly two decades. Experts say the cost of prime arable land rose by 10.7 per cent last year, compared to an average 3.4 per cent for house prices across the UK. Estate agents Savills said it rose to £7,594 an acre last year and could rise by 40 per cent to £11,000 by 2018. Countryside bliss: The price of farmland is rising faster than property for the first time in nearly two decade It is the first time in 16 years that farmland prices in Britain have risen quicker than even prime Central London property. Christopher Miles, director at Savills, said: ‘Farmland is seen as a tangible asset. ‘People invest in arable land for the same reason they invest in housing, it’s not a piece of paper or a derivative and people have confidence in it because it won’t disappear.’ Arable outperformed prime central London property during the 1973 oil crisis, the winter of 1980 – when interest rates hit 15pc – and the 1990 Gulf War. Easy street: Farmland prices are rising quicker than prime Central London property in areas such as Mayfair, pictured, and Knightsbridge In addition, low numbers of transactions are propping up the price per acre as farmers hold on to arable land as a long-term investment. Overseas buyers consider Britain to have some of the most liberal land ownership laws in the world, while landowners also enjoy business property relief and can pass down holdings to the next generation without incurring inheritance tax. But a resurgence in the UK agricultural industry to meet the demands of a growing global population is also increasing the appeal of farming as a business or an investment. Mr Miles said: ‘As commodity prices remain volatile, land remains an excellent store of wealth.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail…l#ixzz2jgAW1Lf1 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Continue reading
Farmland For Sale Falls By A Massive 67% – As Prices Rise
By Exeter Express and Echo | Posted: October 25, 2013 The value of farmland in the South West continues to rise, as the amount coming onto the market goes on falling. In the first nine months of this year the price of prime land in the region rose by 2% to £7,600 an acre – according to data collected for the farmland value survey run by estate agents Savills. Penny Dart, of Savills’ Exeter office, explained: “Across the South West during the first three-quarters of 2013 the volume of farmland publicly marketed decreased by 4% when compared to the same period in 2012. “The South West accounted for 18% of all farmland marketed in England. In the region 15,081 acres of farmland was publicly marketed, compared with 15,745 acres to the end of September in 2012, a decrease of 4%.” Mrs Dart said Somerset recorded the steepest fall in the amount of farmland coming onto the market, a massive 67% down on the year to just 1,492 acres. Devon also recorded a significant drop of 30%, while in Cornwall the drop was just 4%. It was a different picture elsewhere in the South West region, with Gloucestershire almost doubling the amount of land marketed, with an enormous increase of 84% in Dorset and 37% in Wiltshire. But Devon still accounted for nearly a fifth of all the farmland marketed in the region. Wiltshire, with its extensive grain-growing acreage, accounted for nearly a third. Mrs Dart explained that an analysis of the farm transactions carried out by Savills throughout Great Britain in the first half of this year showed that farmer buyers made up half of all purchasers. This was similar to the situation in 2012. “Farm expansion continued to be the prime motive for buying, and was cited by the majority of farmer buyers,” she said. But the proportion of lifestyle buyers rose very considerably, to 40%, the highest level since 2004. She said their primary motive was not income generation from farming. “Of these buyers there was an almost equal split between those who already owned farmland and those who were purchasing for the first time. “Buying for residential or sporting reasons was also a significant motive.” While the average value of prime land was now £7,600, third-grade arable land now averaged £6,150 an acre. The average value of prime dairy land had risen by nearly 2% to £6,690, while third-grade dairy land was £5,760. Poor livestock grazing was £4,600 an acre. Read more: http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Farmland-sale-falls-massive-67-8211-prices-rise/story-19984687-detail/story.html#ixzz2ikAHWF7F Continue reading
