The UK and Norway have launched a new Green Industrial Partnership aimed at turbocharging the North Sea’s role in the clean energy transition, even as recent industry setbacks raise questions about the pace and stability of Britain’s net zero ambitions.
Signed in Oslo by UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Norwegian ministers Terje Aasland and Cecilie Myrseth, the agreement cements plans for joint investment and innovation in offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and green infrastructure.
“Energy security means national security,” said Miliband. “This partnership is about building clean power we can rely on – backed by strong alliances, not fossil fuel volatility.”
Alongside technology and infrastructure collaboration, the partnership also aims to streamline cross-border CO₂ storage, protect offshore assets, and create supply chain and skills opportunities on both sides of the North Sea.
Analysts estimate that closer regional cooperation could generate up to 51,000 jobs and inject £36 billion into the UK economy, with the North Sea potentially supplying 120GW of offshore wind by 2030, which is enough to power 120 million homes.
Norwegian ministers highlighted the strategic value of deepening ties with Britain, which remains Norway’s second-largest trading partner. Companies like Equinor, Statkraft and Vårgrønn are already heavily involved in the UK’s renewables sector.
While the UK government pushes forward with green diplomacy abroad, its domestic clean energy rollout faces mounting pressure. The offshore wind sector has faced funding uncertainty, and policy instability, with the recent news of Ørsted halting Hornsea 4 wind farm plans.
Whether the new partnership can help overcome these headwinds and wider geopolitical uncertainty remains to be seen, but both governments are betting on the North Sea as a shared engine of green growth.