A public hearing about a ground-breaking renewable energy project based in the north-east will be held tomorrow.
The North Connect project would involve installing a electricity cable stretching from Boddam near Peterhead across to Norway.
The 400-mile, 1,400-megawatt inter-connector is expected to create more stable household bills across the UK, while also encouraging greater investment in renewable energy schemes on both sides of the North Sea.
Now Aberdeenshire Council is hosting a pre-determination hearing on the proposals at the Palace Hotel, Peterhead at 7.30pm tomorrow.
A spokesman for the local authority said: “The hearing relates to the North Connect project, a proposed inter-connector station to be built at Fourfields, Boddam.
“The station would connect a subsea cable from Scotland to Norway to allow both countries to share electricity and the pre-determination hearing has been called as the project is categorised as a development of national interest.”
The project is expected to cost around £2billion and could bring more than 200 jobs to the Buchan area.
Last night Boddam resident and former councillor Sam Coull said: “Quite bluntly I’d rather have a cable taking green energy from Norway than having wind turbines decorating the hillsides around the north-east.
“I’m afraid Boddam already has a power station with pylons marching across the countryside and turbines mushrooming up out of the group. From the perspective of environmental living, I’d rather have green energy across the North Sea to this corner.”
The North Connect project has been proposed by a consortium of Vattenfall, Adger Energi, E-Co Energi and Lyse.
No decision will be made on the project at the hearing.