The UK and Norway have penned a new Green Industrial Partnership this week to bolster renewables, specifically offshore wind and grid development.
The agreement, penned by the UK energy minister Ed Miliband and his Norwegian counterparts, ministers Terje Aasland (energy) and Cecilie Myrseth (trade and industry) in Oslo, aims to increase collaboration between the two North Sea countries and support efforts in energy security.
The deal encompasses numerous technologies and aspects of the energy transition. This includes the cross-border storage of carbon dioxide, collaboration on the protection of offshore wind infrastructure, and, of course, offshore wind and grid development.
In a statement released by the UK government, Norway has been deemed a “crucial ally” in securing energy security in the UK and helping deliver clean energy manufacturing jobs through the Plan for Change, which was revealed in late 2024.
The partnership also cements the North Sea as a critical region for the country’s energy transition and security. Securing the partnership with Norway is a further step in maintaining protection.
Ed Miliband shares this sentiment, stating that “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,” Miliband added.
The deal forms part of the UK-Norway Strategic Partnership, which covers defence, security, energy, and the green transition.
The UK’s North Sea opportunity
Research by the UK government indicates that closer collaboration on the clean energy transition in the North Seas could reduce energy bills, create up to 51,000 jobs, and contribute about £36 billion to the UK economy.
By 2030, the North Sea could generate up to 120GW of offshore wind energy, sufficient to power over 120 million homes. This development will enhance energy security for the UK and Europe in an increasingly volatile world while also creating significant export opportunities.
As such, the North Sea continues to be at the heart of the UK’s offshore wind ambitions. Although much can be said of the opportunities in the Celtic Sea, which has previously been deemed a £12 billion offshore wind prospect, this is still dwarfed by the opportunities in the North Sea.
Indeed, the National Grid has previously stated that the North Sea could provide up to 120GW of offshore wind generation by 2030. This is more than double the UK’s ambitious wind target of having 55GW of offshore wind generation available by 2030, which the Labour government raised following its success in the 2024 general election.
