The latest phase in a plan for an international electricity "supergrid" beneath the northern North Sea has been unveiled.

The publication of an early study was hailed by Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond, as major progress towards capitalising on Scotland's potential for renewable energy.

Under the plans, a power grid would be created to gather "green" electricity from Scotland and other northern European countries such as Norway.

The initial £20,000 study is the precursor to a feasibility study costing up to £409,000 and which could take a year to complete.

The cost of the feasibility study depends on how many countries take part, with possible participants said to include Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands.

Mr Salmond said: "The next step is we take our scoping study to the variety of countries which we believe are interested in this notion.

"We take it to the European Commission, which we know are interested in the idea. We try to get their participation in the study."

He added: "This is a major step forward in realising Scotland's renewable energy potential, which can make a big contribution to Europe and the world in moving to clean, green sources of energy."

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