Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has secured a Green Industrial Partnership with Norwegian Ministers Terje Aasland and Cecilie Myrseth, and met with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
This partnership aims to enhance the UK and Norway’s longstanding collaboration on energy, focusing on key areas that support the development of renewables.
During his visit, Miliband met with several energy companies to deepen bilateral relationships and advocate for clean energy investment in Britain. Norway is a crucial ally in securing the UK’s energy security, which will deliver clean, secure, and cheaper power for British families while creating new clean energy manufacturing jobs through the Plan for Change.
The partnership focuses on offshore wind and grid development, collaboration on protecting UK and Norwegian offshore infrastructure, and reducing barriers to develop a North Sea hub for cross-border carbon dioxide storage. This initiative aligns with the government’s aim to position the North Sea at the heart of Britain’s clean energy future and drive economic growth.
The UK’s seas have the potential to store up to 78 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, which this partnership could help unlock, supporting jobs and reducing emissions across Europe. Research suggests that closer cooperation on the clean energy transition in the North Seas could lower bills, create up to 51,000 jobs, and add up to £36 billion to the UK economy. By 2030, the North Sea could provide up to 120GW of offshore wind generation, enough to power over 120 million homes, contributing to UK and Europe’s energy security and creating significant export opportunities for British businesses.
Ed Miliband, Energy Secretary, said:
“Energy security is national security – and only by working with key partners like Norway can we accelerate clean power that we control, getting us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuels in these unstable times.
“Together we can invest in a clean energy future and take advantage of the opportunities ahead in the North Sea, with good clean energy jobs and export opportunities for British business – delivering growth through our Plan for Change.”
Norway is a key energy partner for the UK, and this new partnership builds on decades of collaboration and mutual commitment to developing the UK’s offshore sectors in the North Sea. By working with European partners to transform the North Sea basin into a low carbon and renewables powerhouse, the UK can accelerate the global energy transition and lead efforts to combat climate change on the world stage.
UK and Norwegian companies are already playing a vital role in driving the energy transition forward. This includes Norwegian energy major Equinor, which has invested in UK offshore wind, carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS), and hydrogen, as well as Europe’s biggest renewables generator, Statkraft, and other Norwegian companies Fred Olsen and Vårgrønn.
Image credit: iStock
