Norway, Germany to closely cooperate on developing green industry: Joint statement

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Norway and Germany are expanding cooperation to expand the production of renewable energy and to develop green industry, according to a joint statement on Thursday.

The two countries are planning to cooperate in the areas of hydrogen, battery technology, offshore wind, and carbon capture and storage,

“These are challenging times in Europe due to the war in Ukraine,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said, the statement noted.

Store also emphasized Norway’s importance as a reliable supplier of gas to Europe and the need to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

“I greatly value our close cooperation with Germany. It has been a long time since Norway was this important to Germany – and Germany to Norway. Our collaborative efforts will help us to achieve our common goals of green industrialization and lower emissions,” he said.

In January last year, Norway and Germany agreed to strengthen their cooperation on the green transition and to establish a long-term dialogue on industry and energy.

Since then, several meetings took place between the two countries where the energy situation in Europe has also been a key item on the agenda.

The joint statement also said Norway will continue to supply oil and gas to Europe.

Norway is also considering establishing a large-scale partnership with Germany when it comes to value chains and infrastructure, the statement added.

“Both our countries are seeking to seize the opportunities opening up as a result of the energy and climate change challenges Europe is facing,” according to Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland.

Minister of Trade and Industry Jan Christian Vestre, however, stressed that Norway is well positioned to succeed in promoting green growth, particularly considering crucial resources and expertise in the energy, offshore, and maritime sectors.

Cooperation with key partners is essential, said Vestre, adding: “I am therefore very pleased we are establishing a Norwegian-German industrial partnership.”

In addition to renewable energy, the two countries also plan to cooperate on the processing industry, batteries, raw materials, and green shipping.

According to Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide, Norway and the EU will be undergoing a major process to decarbonize their economies.

This, he said, will require efforts in areas such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and renewable energy production.

“I am pleased that Norway and Germany will be cooperating even more closely in these areas,” Eide added.