THE SCOTTISH government must act now if the country is to meet its renewable energy targets and build the foundations for a multi-billion pound alternative energy sector. In his keynote speech to one of Europe's most prestigious green energy conferences, the chief executive of Scottish Renewables will this week call upon Holyrood to boost the already booming industry by accelerating the decision-making process behind the siting of windfarms.

Claiming that planning backlogs and lengthening delays are preventing the sector from embarking on a major new phase of expansion, Jason Ormiston will tell a 2000-strong audience of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs in Glasgow that unless action is taken soon, Scotland risks losing its head-start in a business valued at £5.5 billion a year and growing fast.

"We have a fantastic opportunity here, not only to achieve our own environmental targets but also to do with wind power what Denmark has done with waves - creating a 25,000-job industry that exports its expertise worldwide," said Ormiston.

"The government has to act now if it is serious about renewable energy. Wind generation projects will be vital to reaching Scotland's renewables targets and there are hundreds of developers ready and waiting with projects who are gradually losing patience and moving elsewhere. They have confidence in the sector's future and so do we, but unfortunately the state hasn't kept pace," he added.

"The time delays involved in setting up wind power developments in Scotland are unacceptable. They are holding back the pace of development and are a deterrent to taking advantage of our early leader status."

Speaking to the Sunday Herald in advance of this week's British Wind Energy Association annual conference in Glasgow, Ormiston unveiled research revealing that, on average, potential developers of onshore windfarms currently have to wait almost three years for a decision. Despite pressure to meet the 2010 target to get 40% of Scotland's energy from renewable sources, since last year the determination period for proposed projects has increased by 54% to 34 months.

There are currently 28 projects queuing for government adjudication, with 15 having been awaiting determination for 30 months or more. If all were given the go-ahead, their combined capacity would be capable of meeting the electricity needs of all Scottish households, saving an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of carbon per year in the process.

"These are complex environmental engineering projects that require careful scrutiny, but Alex Salmond must move to sort this out if we are not to let the chance slip through our fingers."

Ormiston's call comes at a crucial time for Scotland's renewable energy sector. Many industry commentators believe that in addition to meeting domestic environmental targets, the country is well-placed to establish itself as a global leader in the fast-expanding industry.

In a move that will further highlight local expertise, Aberdeen-based ITI Energy is to use this week's conference as a platform to unveil the latest stage in its groundbreaking £5 million research and development project Orangutan. The effort to engineer a turbine-climbing machine capable of slashing wind farm construction and maintenance costs is now moving out of its design phase, and the company will announce its intention to demonstrate a rude prototype in March 2008.

"Whereas it takes around a month to prepare for routine maintenance using enormous traditional cranes, Orangutan can be transported on an ordinary lorry and set to work within a single day. It will fundamentally change the economics of wind power generation, and if we can get to market first we see this as a Scottish business with the potential to have a global impact," said programme manager David Slee.

Three Scottish-based companies have won first-phase contracts to test the performance and refine the design of Orangutan. Renfrew's Doosan Babcock Energy will provide materials testing to determine the performance of key systems while Prospect Flow Solutions, an Aberdeen-based engineering consultancy, will model and test the structural components.

As the phase nears completion, oil industry specialists Burntisland Fabricators will build and host a full-scale wind turbine tower test facility, creating full-sized models of the key technology prior to its unveiling next March Pointing to ITI Energy's use of Scottish companies as sole partners in Orangutan's development, Slee supports the view that the base ingredients exist to develop a world-leading green energy industry. He demonstrates a typical engineer's reluctance to embroil himself in politics, but concurs with the contention that government engagement will be key to turning promise into reality.

"There is no doubt that Scotland has a lot of expertise in this area. We have some of the most advanced research projects in Europe and our facilities sector is second to none. That's why we should be able to complete the Orangutan project using only home-grown talent," said Slee.

"This is too big an undertaking to be left to the market however. The infrastructure, planning and logistical implications of alternative energy are enormous, and formulating an effective strategy can only work if it is driven at government level."