The UK and Norway are set to launch a new green industrial partnership today (16th December) to combine their capabilities on clean energy, drive economic growth and bolster energy security.
With Norway being the single biggest supplier of gas after the UK Continental Shelf, the new agreement – which the two countries have a joint ambition to sign in spring 2025 – will support its aim to secure home-grown energy. In the UK’s case, it will be an important element in becoming a clean energy superpower by 2030.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit a cross-border carbon transport and storage facility in Norway to see how the benefits of such projects can benefit the UK.
It comes days after the Government signed its first carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) contracts in the UK with bp, and Norwegian company Equinor are playing a major role in the Northern Endurance Partnership and Net Zero Teesside.
Today’s announcement comes as floating offshore windfarm Green Volt has awarded front-end engineering and design contracts.
Based off the Northeast coast of Scotland, it is the first major commercial floating wind development in Europe, and a joint venture between Norwegian Vårgrønn and UK firm Flotation Energy.
Prime Minister Starmer said the partnership will allow it to seize opportunities from a new era of clean energy, driving investment into the UK and boosting jobs.
“Our partnership with Norway will make the UK more energy secure, ensuring we are never again exposed to international energy price spikes and the whims of dictators like Putin,” he said.
Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, “We need cooperation, knowledge and innovation to better equip us to face the future. The partnership with the UK will be important to facilitate more green jobs both in Norway and the UK, and for advancing the green transition.”
He added it has cooperated with the UK with carbon capture and storage for more than 20 years.
The two countries have also committed to initiate work to identify gaps and challenges to the development of its common North Sea as a hub for carbon storage and to develop a bilateral agreement or arrangement on cross-border transport of carbon dioxide (CO2) under the London Protocol.
Norway’s Statkraft recently broke ground on the Swansea Greener Grid Park in Swansea, which will use low carbon technology to improve grid stability and reduce the need to use fossil fuel power plants.
The £70m investment is one of a pipeline of similar grid stability schemes to be developed in the UK, and Statkraft has already to date delivered two. The company has already invested £1.4bn in renewable energy infrastructure in the UK.
