This week, the prime ministers of the UK and Norway announced a new partnership on renewable energy and carbon capture, along with plans to cooperate on cross-border CO2 transport and storage.
The two countries are hopeful that the partnership agreement will officially be signed in the spring of 2025.
The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Mr. Keir Starmer, recently visited a carbon transport and storage center in Norway, gaining first-hand insights on the impact of such a facility on the local economy.
Through their carbon management operations, these facilities offer a chance for restoring industrial hubs while also providing numerous employment opportunities for local residents.
According to Prime Minister Starmer, the announced joint plants for carbon capture with Norway will provide well-paying jobs for many years to come.
He stated, “Carbon capture has a potential for decades and decades of work, and we’re probably two of the best-placed countries in the world in relation to this cutting-edge technology, this approach.”
Norway and the UK will also collaborate on advancing the development of the North Sea as a carbon storage hub, outlining a bilateral agreement for transporting CO2 across the borders of the two countries.
This cooperation will be facilitated by the London Protocol, an environmentally centered treaty covering the sea transport of carbon dioxide and other substances.
In a broader perspective, this deal falls in line with the UK’s ambition for becoming a world leader in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).
To that end, the country has earmarked the impressive £21.7 billion ($27.5 billion) in funding that will be allocated towards CO2 capture and storage projects and hydrogen development over the next 25 years.
Leveraging a longstanding partnership in the energy sector, with Norway being one of the leading providers of natural gas for the UK, this new deal will fortify the synergies between the two countries as they carve a promising pathway towards a sustainable future.
source: carbon herald
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