On a visit to Oslo this week, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband secured a Green Industrial Partnership with Norwegian counterparts Ministers Terje Aasland and Cecilie Myrseth and met with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
The Energy Secretary also met a number of energy companies to deepen bilateral relationships and make the case for clean energy investment in Britain.
Norway is a “crucial ally in securing our energy security” said the UK Government in an announcement.
The ambitious partnership enhances the UK and Norway’s longstanding collaboration on energy and is one of the key deliverables of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s and Norwegian Prime Minister Store’s over-arching Strategic Partnership.
It focuses on key areas that support the development of renewables. These include offshore wind and grid development, collaboration on the protection of UK and Norwegian offshore infrastructure and reducing barriers to develop a North Sea hub for the cross-border storage of carbon dioxide.
This builds on the government’s aim for the North Sea to be at the heart of Britain’s clean energy future and to drive economic growth.
Miliband 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.”
Aasland said: “Norway and the United Kingdom have a unique relationship in the energy sector, characterized by innovation and close cooperation across the North Sea.
“I am very pleased that today we are establishing a forward-looking partnership to promote the green transition and further strengthen the collaboration between our two countries.”
Myrseth said: “This agreement is important for Norwegian industry, especially when it comes to securing value chains for raw materials and clean energy.
“By combining Norwegian and British strengths, we can create jobs, develop new industries, and enhance our competitiveness.”
It is estimated that the UK’s seas have the potential to store up to 78 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, which this partnership could help to unlock to support jobs and reduce emissions across Europe.
Research also 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 £36bn to the UK economy.
By 2030, the North Sea could provide up to 120GW of offshore wind generation, which is enough to power over 120 million homes.
This will contribute to the UK and Europe’s energy security in a volatile world, whilst creating significant export opportunities for British business.