Aberdeenshire Council has approved onshore infrastructure for the 1.4GW Northconnect interconnector between Scotland and Norway.
NorthConnect is a project company owned by four partners in Norway, UK and Sweden. The co-operation agreement between Agder Energi, E-CO, Lyse and Vattenfall was signed in February 2011.
Power networks in the UK and Scandinavia are planned to be connected through a 650km underwater power cable between north east Scotland and Norway.
The offshore cable is proposed to run from Longhaven (south of Peterhead) to the end of the Hardangerfjord (east of Bergen) in Norway.
The converter station and onshore cables will link the interconnector cable to the National Grid.
The project partners will now submit plans for the sea-based part of the interconnector. Construction of the converter station and the underground cables will start after making final investment decisions and securing all the required approvals.
The NorthConnect project, which is estimated to to cost £1.3bn, is expected to start operations from 2022.
NorthConnect project UK project manager Richard Blanchfield said: "This major investment is an opportunity for the north east economy, it will help keep the lights on in Scotland, press down on household electricity bills and allow the green powerhouses of Scotland and Scandinavia to deliver their low carbon potential."