Northern Ireland Electricity has welcomed a decision by the Scottish secretary to grant planning approval for overhead lines which will form part of an electricity interconnector between Scotland and Island magee in Co Antrim.
There have been objections to the project in Scotland where 64 kilometres of overhead line are to be constructed. Campaigners had called for underground cables to be used instead. An undersea cable will carry the electricity through the north channel.
Mr Adam Ingram, Northern Ireland Office minister, said the project was "an integral part of energy strategy in Northern Ireland, the UK and the European Union".
Planning permission for a convertor station in Islandmagee has yet to be approved.
