UK and Japan sign offshore wind pact

The UK and Japan have signed an offshore wind industrial compact aimed at unlocking up to £9bn in Japanese investment and accelerating the development of floating and deepwater wind projects.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks and Japan’s State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Takagi Kei signed the agreement on 10 November 2026, formalising cooperation between the two countries.

The UK government said the compact will support the development of 5.9GW of floating offshore wind projects in Britain, including Ossian and Green Volt in the North Sea and Erebus in the Celtic Sea.

The projects, in which Japanese companies have stakes, are expected to generate enough clean electricity to power 8 million homes once built.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation on offshore wind investment, technology demonstration, supply chain development and policy exchange.

It aims to combine the UK’s experience in offshore wind policy, market frameworks and project delivery with Japan’s industrial and manufacturing capabilities.

Under the compact, both countries will explore further joint investment opportunities involving UK and Japanese developers, Great British Energy (GBE) and financial institutions.

Collaboration will also focus on testing and demonstrating floating and deepwater offshore wind technologies, including foundation systems, subsea engineering, robotics and digitalisation.

The two countries will work to strengthen offshore wind supply chains, particularly turbine manufacturing, and support the adaptation of fixed-bottom technologies for floating applications.

Further cooperation will cover offshore wind financing, regulation, grid integration, skills and technical standards to support the development of Japan’s domestic market.

The compact builds on a memorandum of cooperation signed in 2025 and discussions held during the UK-Japan Energy and Climate Dialogue in February 2026.

Delivery will be led by Great British Energy and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on the UK side, alongside Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Governance arrangements will include annual director-level discussions, potentially through the existing UK-Japan Energy and Climate Dialogue.

Shanks said: “Building more homegrown power is how we strengthen our energy security and tackle the root cause of sky high bills.

“This agreement brings together Britain’s offshore wind expertise and Japan’s industrial strength to drive investment, back British jobs and drive growth in every postcode.”

Great British Energy chief executive Dan McGrail said: “As the UK’s publicly owned energy company we are focussed on driving investment into our clean energy future. We are proud to have partnered with the UK and Japanese Governments on the development of this first-of-its-kind agreement which will facilitate billions of pounds of investment into the UK’s offshore wind sector.

“We know that in the UK we have the skills, capabilities and ambition to build a thriving deepwater and floating offshore wind sector.”

More information:https://www.renews.biz/offshore-wind/uk-and-japan-sign-offshore-wind-pact/