A 400-mile power cable linking Scotland and Norway has been approved by energy regulator Ofcom.

The £1.3bn link is expected to be switched on in 2022 and will support 200 jobs during construction.

It will enable power companies to secure the best price by selling electricity on both sides of the North Sea and provide a boost to renewables, developer NorthConnect says.

The cable, which will be capable of supplying around a quarter of Scotland's peak demand for electricity, will come ashore in Boddam, Aberdeenshire.

Ofgem granted NorthConnect a licence to operate the link on Wednesday and the firm plans to seek planning permission next year.

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks welcomed the news, saying: "If the UK and the rest of Europe are to move to a 100% renewable future then greater use of interconnectors is a sensible way forward.

"Sharing different renewable resources between nations would help drive down climate emissions much faster than relying on domestic action alone.

"However, it shouldn't be an excuse for any country to halt the development their own renewable capacity.

"A Europe-wide 'super-grid' would also bring the double benefits of security of supply and a reduced need to build lots of expensive new nuclear or fossil fuel power stations."