Guest vocals: Philip Maxwell on renewables

I HAD been visiting the isle of Islay every year for more than 30 years, and often wondered how the energy contained in the tidal streams flowing up and down the Sound of Islay could be exploited. Scotland has some of the best tidal resources in Europe. It is estimated that marine energy could comprise about one-third of the country's renewable energy resources, which is important for a nation whose target is 50% of electricity generation from renewable resources by 2020.

In particular, the seas around Islay are some of the most accessible and the island is already home to the world's first commercial wave power station - Wavegen's Limpet at Portnahaven.

My wife and I moved to the island three years ago after I took early retirement from my job with a multinational energy company. Since then I have been working in a voluntary capacity with the community-owned Islay Energy Trust, whose aim is to develop commercial renewable energy projects that will benefit the community. Last Wednesday, IET's members gave their overwhelming support to the board's proposal to lead the development of Scotland's first commercial-sized tidal energy project in collaboration with Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University.

The proposed project is likely to consist of four to six turbine devices, with a total capacity of about 2MW, installed in the sound. The development phases are expected to cost up to £750,000 and take about three years to complete. Once in operation, revenue would be generated from electricity sales.

For me, there are some particularly exciting aspects. Firstly, rather than waiting for a large energy utility or manufacturer to come here, the community is taking the initiative to ensure that any exploitation of a local resource yields substantial and sustainable benefits. Local communities do not always benefit as fully as they might when important resources are exploited.

Next, this project is at the leading edge of renewable energy technologies and while there are development risks we are confident they will be managed in such a way that a profitable project will result. Also, it will help to provide greater energy security for the island by supplying a quarter of its electricity demand.

Finally, and crucially to the project's success, no decision has yet been taken on the type of technology to be installed. The selection process will be based on a set of technical, commercial and environmental criteria and subject to independent verification.