Sir Keir Starmer is to promote what critics have said is unproven carbon capture technology in a deal with Norway.
Sir Keir will meet Jonas Gahr Støre, Norway’s prime minister, to sign a new “green industrial partnership” under which the two countries will work closely to capture industrial carbon dioxide emissions and store them in deep geological formations under the North Sea.
Carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) technology removes CO2 emissions before it reaches the atmosphere and stores it safely beneath the seabed.
Critics warn carbon capture may not be as environmentally friendly as its proponents believe, and that it could simply prolong the use of fossil fuels.
They also say the technology is expensive and has not been proven to work on a large scale.
The UK and Norway hold the majority of the carbon storage potential in the North Sea, so are able to make Europe more energy secure – Staff/Reuters
The Prime Minister said this has the potential to create thousands of new, skilled jobs in the UK.
“This Green Industrial Partnership will allow us to seize the opportunities from a new era of clean energy, driving investment into the UK and boosting jobs both now and in the future,” he said.
“It will harness the UK’s unique potential to become a world leader in carbon capture – from the North Sea to the coastal south – reigniting industrial heartlands and delivering on our Plan for Change.
“Our partnership with Norway will make the UK more energy secure, ensuring we are never again exposed to international energy price spikes and the whims of dictators like Putin.”
The government says the UK has enough capacity to store 200 years’ worth of emissions.
The UK and Norway also hold the majority of the carbon storage potential in the North Sea, so are strategically placed to support Europe to meet its net zero ambitions and bring greater energy security.
The Prime Minister will visit a cross-border carbon transport and storage facility in Norway to see how the benefits of such projects for the UK will reignite industrial heartlands, create jobs, and turbocharge growth for decades to come.
It comes days after the Government signed the first CCUS contracts in the UK.
BP, and Norwegian company Equinor are playing a major role in the first projects, called the Northern Endurance Partnership and the Net Zero Teesside. The projects will deliver thousands of skilled jobs to the region, and Net Zero Teesside will provide up to 1 million homes with clean power from 2028.
Mr Støre said: “We need co-operation, knowledge and innovation to better equip us to face the future. The partnership with the UK will be important to facilitate more green jobs both in Norway and the UK, and for advancing the green transition.
“We work closely with the UK in a wide range of areas. We have co-operated in the field of carbon capture and storage for more than 20 years, and further strengthening our co-operation with the UK will help us to cut emissions and create green jobs.
“It is important to show our partners what Norway can bring to the table in our joint efforts to achieve our common goals.”
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Publish date : 2024-12-15 14:31:00
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