British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre on Monday in Norway to announce a strategic energy partnership. This agreement, which will be formally signed in spring 2025, will focus on renewable energy and carbon capture. The goal is to strengthen bilateral investments and consolidate the energy security of both nations.
According to the official statement, this partnership will allow the United Kingdom to leverage new opportunities in the clean energy sector, with expected impacts on employment and infrastructure. However, the precise details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed.
A dual-purpose energy strategy
London has committed to an ambitious roadmap to achieve fully decarbonized electricity production by 2030. In this context, the British government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 81% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. These commitments are supported by public and private investments, including a £22 billion (€26.2 billion) plan over 25 years to develop carbon capture and storage hubs in two former industrial regions in northern England.
For Norway, this partnership is a natural extension of its role as a key energy supplier to the United Kingdom while consolidating its position in technologies such as carbon capture, a sector where its companies are already active.
Already strong bilateral relations
Energy relations between the United Kingdom and Norway are built on established foundations. Norway is the main natural gas supplier to the UK, and its companies play a central role in the British market. Equinor, in partnership with BP, is involved in several carbon capture projects in the United Kingdom. Norwegian company Vårgrønn is also engaged in the development of floating wind farms in Scotland.
This energy cooperation is not limited to renewables. In early December, Shell and Equinor announced the creation of a joint entity to merge their oil and gas assets in the United Kingdom. This project illustrates the two countries’ dual strategy of combining traditional resources with alternative energy solutions.
Energy security at the heart of the partnership
For London, this partnership with Oslo aligns with a strategy to secure energy supplies amid price volatility and geopolitical tensions exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. According to Keir Starmer, this cooperation aims to protect the United Kingdom from international market fluctuations and pressures from actors like Russia.
For Norway, ambitions focus on developing exportable energy technologies and consolidating its positions in the European market.
