A landmark energy partnership agreed between the UK and Norway Thursday has furthered the UK's commitment to developing diverse and secure renewable energy sources through confirmation of two offshore UK wind projects and the world's longest sub sea electricity interconnector to enable the sharing of renewable energy sources between the two countries.
The UK's department of energy and climate change said in a statement Thursday that UK prime minister David Cameron and the Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg agreed a partnership between the two countries to secure affordable and sustainable long term energy supplies.
As part of the commercial announcements it was confirmed that UK-Norway offshore wind consortium Forewind — comprising the UK's RWE npower renewables, Scottish and Southern Energy as well as Norway's Statoil and Statkraft — will move forward with the GBP30 billion ($46 billion) 9 GW Dogger Bank wind project off the east coast of Yorkshire.
Norwegian energy companies Statoil and Statkraft have invested a further GBP1 billion in the UK's Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm off the coast of Norfolk, which DECC confirmed would be fully operational by September.
In addition, Cameron voiced support for the electricity interconnector project in development between the UK's National Grid and Norwegian grid operator Statnett, saying it would prove important in linking Norway's low carbon hydro power to the UK market, and surplus UK wind power to Norway.
National Grid chief executive Steve Holliday said in a statement that the GBP1 billion project would bring benefits to both countries.
"The interconnector will give the UK the fast response we will need to help support the management of intermittent wind energy with clean hydro power from Norway. It would also enable us to export renewable energy when we are in surplus," Holliday said.
"At this very moment a seabed survey is underway in the North Sea looking at the best way to design and install the cable which would run through some very deep water. Four years development work between us and Statnett has brought us to this point and potentially the link could be in operation by 2020," Holliday added.
