The Partnership has long experience of civil engineering and project planning, dating from 1970. Qualifications include masters degrees in engineering, geological and environmental disciplines, together with membership of the relevant professional bodies. Ready access to specialists in legal, biochemical, geotechnical and structural engineering professions allows a wide variety of assignments to be undertaken. The range of consulting services offered includes:

• Feasibility studies
• Due diligence
• Resource appraisal (wind, hydro, bio-fuel)
• Environmental impact assessment
• Process design
• Mineral slurry transport
• Physical and computer modelling

Close collaboration with clients' engineers, technicians and planners has been found to be compatible with a truly independent view of project possibilities.

The emphasis is on value for money. This is achieved by the partners' experience in making judicious choices for study areas at an early stage, thus avoiding abortive work. On the same theme, low cost methods for site appraisal have been developed, for example:

• Remote control aerial photography, with video down-link
• Hydrographic survey integrating GPS with echo sounding
• Computer modelling for most types of energy conversion system
• Statistical analysis of data obtainable from the internet.

Recent assignments include:

• An in-depth appraisal of air-cushion surge chamber design for large pumped storage hydro-electric schemes in Japan.
• Control of environmental discharges from farms affected by foot and mouth disease.
• Engineering and process design of farm-scale biodiesel production plant, including operation of pilot plant and obtaining the necessary permits.