A HORRABRIDGE man is hoping to fund plans to produce unlimited green energy using the ebb and flow of the tides by using the proceeds from his self-published autobiography.

Joseph Toland, 75, a former RAF pilot, aerospace engineer and inventor (pictured) will preview his book, entitled ‘Joseph’s Journey on the River of Life’ during a presentation at The Wharf in Tavistock on November 5.

In addition to describing his upbringing in Devon, how he was taught to fly by WW2 pilots and his adult working life, Mr Toland will be explaining how the rights to his latest invention will be gifted to the nation to provide a free university education for all.

Should the book meet initial sales targets, Mr Toland’s first step would be the construction of the SS Nautilus, an artificial shipwreck and attraction for divers to be sunk off the coast of Cornwall.

He explained: ‘This would act as a prototype for the laminated, box-section construction of our proposed lagoon and also help finance the construction of the lagoon itself.

‘Once we have proven the technology with the Nautilus then it would be all systems go for the tidal lagoon.’

Mr Toland’s ambitious Jetstream Tidal Lagoon project — a 26-mile artificial island which utilises cutting-edge turbine technology to harness the power of the rising and falling tides — would be situated in Bridgwater Bay.

The lagoon’s curved sectional structure, fitted with more than 2,000 water-powered turbines and topped with an array of solar panels, would be capable of generating electricity around the clock to an estimated 16-million households.

While Mr Toland is unconcerned with personal wealth, he hopes the gesture of gifting the rights of his intellectual property in the form of a trust fund for Britain’s young people will have important, long-term benefits.

‘By reducing energy costs, reducing costs to the tax payer and with the trust fund generating wealth, this should, within a decade of operation, remove the necessity for university fees,’ he said.

For details of Joseph Toland’s talk at The Wharf, see forthcoming events on page 19.

A brief recap of his life story and details of the Jetstream Tidal Lagoon are available on YouTube.