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Good Quality UK Farmland Growing In Value
Monday, June 17, 2013 Western Daily Press Top-quality farmland could be costing £20,000 an acre within the next seven years, according to a leading consultant. But while James Brooke, a partner in land agents Bidwells, was referring to top-grade arable land, the rich pastures of the West Country, famous for all-year-round grass, might not be far behind. James Brooke said the ongoing rise in land values, particularly for Grade One land, would continue, and could hit £20,000 by the year 2020 Mr Brooke was speaking at the major national arable event, Cereals 2013, in Lincolnshire. He said the ongoing rise in land values, particularly for Grade One land, would continue, and could hit £20,000 by the year 2020. The current average price is just under £7,000. Demand for land was being driven by an ever-increasing world population that needed to be fed, he said. That demand for good agricultural land would continue to grow. “There is no indicator as to why the current trajectory of land-price travel should fall. I see no reason as to why £20,000 per acre should not be achievable.” He urged farmers to work within reasonable budgets and not over-extend their borrowings. Farmers seeking to expand would want to purchase more land before prices increased much higher, but he said they should be inventive when drawing up plans for future expansion. Mr Brooke said land that was adaptable to produce different crops and also to withstand climate change would be particularly sought after in the future. “There is a need for good quality land in good areas with good irrigation and drainage. We need to be able to grow crops which can adapt to climate change,” he stressed. British farmland was attractive to overseas buyers, Mr Brooke added. “So long as we have a fairly benign tax regime, we shall be seen as attractive to investors.” But in the short term, the market was being stretched by a lack of owners wishing to sell – possibly because of land being handed down from generation to generation without attracting Inheritance Tax, he said. Currently the West Country is the most active region for farm sales, according to estate agents Smiths Gore. Its Taunton office reports over 50 per cent more land was marketed nationally this spring compared with 2012, in what is traditionally the busiest period for farmland market activity. But as 2012 had the least land marketed on record, the amount for sale remains very low and will not satisfy demand, explained specialist agent Simon Derby. “Although the land marketed was a considerable increase compared with last year, we do not expect there to be much more land sold over the whole year compared with last,” he said. Smiths Gore’s analysis shows that up to a quarter of all the land marketed throughout the year was advertised in April and the first half of May. Read more: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Good-quality-UK-farmland-growing-value/story-19307832- detail/story.html#ixzz2Wx2541J7 Continue reading
UPM And Ashland Inc. To Collaborate On Application Development For UPM Biofibrils Technology
PRESS RELEASE June 18, 2013, 3:29 a.m. ET UPM and Ashland Inc. to collaborate on application development for UPM Biofibrils technology UPM-Kymmene CorporationPress releaseUPM and Ashland Inc. to collaborate on application development for UPM Biofibrils technology(UPM, Helsinki, June 17, 2013 at 11.00 EET) — UPM and Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) have entered into a cooperative agreement to develop and commercialize products containing UPM’s Biofibrils technology. UPM Biofibrils are micro and nanofibrillated cellulose products that can be used for shaping materials and giving them new characteristics. In the biofibrils collaboration UPM and Ashland will jointly study the use of biofibrils in a wide range of industrial application opportunities. For example, biofibrils might be used to improve the quality and performance of a broad array of polymer products ranging from coatings and construction materials to home and car care products as well as energy drilling applications. The collaboration marks a milestone for two companies with extensive expertise in cellulose technology. UPM has pursued research and development of biofibrils technology for several years and has a large portfolio of patent applications and production experience. Ashland has its own research and patents in microfibrillar cellulose technology. “Our collaborative relationship with UPM provides an excellent opportunity to combine the UPM Biofibrils technology with Ashland’s application expertise in order to bring new products and functionalities to our customers. When we combine our strengths and know-how with experts offering new technologies that complement our product lines, we can deliver value-added performance to our customers”, says May Shana’a, Vice President, Technology and Growth Strategy, Ashland Specialty Ingredients. UPM Biofibrils technology is a result of a long-term research and development commitment. Cornerstones of UPM’s Biofore strategy are the versatile use of renewable wood biomass combined with innovation and sustainability. “UPM Biofibrils is a novel biomaterial that allows development of new fibre-based products with exciting properties for the UPM product portfolio. The collaboration with Ashland’s global development team enables further development and commercialization of UPM Biofibrils in several industrial applications”, says Esa Laurinsilta, Director, UPM Biofibrils. For further information, please contact: Esa Laurinsilta, Director, UPM Biofibrils, UPM tel. +358 40 821 0350 Link to the image gallery. UPM Media Desk tel. +358 40 588 3284 (9-16 EET) media@upm.com www.upm.com www.twitter.com/UPM_News UPM New Businesses and Development (NBD) is an important part of UPM’s renewal and Biofore strategy. The objective of NBD is to provide added value to renewable wood raw material by developing ideas into new products and businesses. The key projects are biocomposites, biofibrils and biochemicals. UPM leads the integration of bio and forest industries into a new, sustainable and innovation-driven future. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. UPM consists of three Business Groups: Energy and pulp, Paper, and Engineered materials. The Group employs around 22,000 people. UPM is present in 67 countries and has production units in 17 countries. UPM’s annual sales exceed EUR 10 billion. UPM’s shares are listed on the Helsinki stock exchange. UPM — The Biofore Company — www.upm.com About Ashland In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, tissue and towel, and water treatment. Visit ashland.com to see the innovations we offer through our four commercial units — Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Consumer Markets. www.ashland.com. Continue reading
Fortum’s Biofuel-Fired CHP Plant Inaugurated In Järvenpää
FortumPress releaseFortum’s biofuel-fired CHP plant inaugurated in JärvenpääEspoo, Finland, 2013-06-14 14:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PRESS RELEASE 14 June 2013 Fortum’s new biofuel-fired plant has been commissioned in Järvenpää, Finland. The plant utilises biofuels to produce district heat for about 34,000 residents in Tuusula and Järvenpää as well as electricity for the national grid. The plant’s annual production is about 280 gigawatt-hours of heat and about 130 gigawatt-hours of electricity. The amount of heat production is equivalent to the annual heat consumption of about 31,000 average-sized Finnish households. Minister of Economic Affairs Jan Vapaavuori and Fortum’s Chief Financial Officer Markus Rauramo inaugurated the biofuel-fired CHP plant on Friday, June 14th, in Järvenpää. “One of the cornerstones of Fortum’s strategy is strong competence in combined heat and power (CHP) production. CHP production is a very energy efficient and low-emissions production form. Moreover, Fortum uses the most biomass for energy production in the Baltic Region. That is another reason why the Järvenpää CHP plant project aligns well with Fortum’s strategy. At the same time, the plant supports Finland’s emissions reduction targets and increases the use of renewable energy,” Fortum’s Chief Financial Officer Markus Rauramo noted in the inauguration speech. Normally, the plant uses only biofuel, mainly forest residues and forest industry by-products, like sawdust and bark. If needed, the plant can also be fuelled with peat and natural gas. Every weekday, some 35 truckloads of biofuel are transported to the Järvenpää plant. The fuel is locally sourced from an approximately 100-kilometer radius from the plant. Acquiring, handling and transporting the fuel provides employment for about 80 people. Fortum invested about 80 million euros in the Järvenpää biofuel-fired plant. During the past three years, Fortum has invested close to 300 million euros in low-emissions energy production in the Helsinki metropolitan area. These eco-friendly plant investments significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions in the region. Emissions from heat production will decrease by about 70% in the region as a result of the investment. Fortum Corporation Corporate Communications Additional information: Jouni Haikarainen, Vice President, Fortum Heat Division, Finland, tel. +358 40 709 5690 Fortum media phone: +358 40 198 2843 Fortum Fortum’s purpose is to create energy that improves life for present and future generations. We provide sustainable solutions that fulfil the needs for low emissions, resource efficiency and energy security, and deliver excellent value to our shareholders. Our activities cover the generation, distribution and sales of electricity and heat as well as related expert services. Fortum’s operations focus on the Nordic countries, Russia, Poland and the Baltics. In the future, the integrating European and fast-growing Asian energy markets provide additional growth opportunities. In 2012, Fortum’s sales totalled EUR 6.2 billion and comparable operating profit was EUR 1.7 billion. We employ approximately 10,400 people. Fortum’s shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Additional information: www.fortum.com/fi Continue reading
