Controversial plans to build the world's first gas carbon capture development in Scotland have been given the green light.

Up to 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions could soon be captured from Peterhead Power Station and transported by a pipeline offshore for long-term storage deep under the North Sea.

Proposals to build the onshore site along with a control room, waste water plant and substations were discussed at an Aberdeenshire Council meeting yesterday.

The plans were backed by councillors in Aberdeen with full planning permission granted.

Shell and SSE are in the running for UK funding to develop the scheme which would capture one million tonnes of CO2 a year for 10 to 15 years.

The gas would be transported through new and existing pipelines and finally injected into a depleted gas reservoir more than two kilometres under the sea bed where it will be permanently stored.

Emissions from one of the existing gas turbines at the power station will be captured and CO2 will be separated from other gasses.

Yesterday Bill Spence, who leads the project for Shell, said: "This is encouraging news and follows an intense 12-month period of comprehensive planning and design work by the team here in Aberdeen.

"Progressing the project with the backing of the community is important to us and this outcome is a strong indication of local support. This project would create jobs, put existing industry skills and infrastructure to good use and demonstrate a technology critical for decarbonising the power sector."

The project is part of the UK Government's CCS Comercialisation Competition. Starting construction depends on a positive investment decision from Shell and the government.