Northern Irish company Balcas secured more than £5m of government funding for its proposals last year.

Once completed, the combined heat and power plant will be capable of heating 20,000 homes a year.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will invest £5.5m in the plant on the former Alcan smelter site at the Cromarty Industrial Park.

The project must get a permit to operate from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) before proceeding