The United Kingdom and Japan have formalized a new industrial compact on offshore wind, setting out a shared framework for enhanced cooperation between the two countries.

Bilateral Compact Builds on 2025 Memorandum of Co-Operation

The compact was agreed upon between the UK's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and builds on the Memorandum of Co-operation in the field of offshore wind signed in 2025.

The agreement follows the UK-Japan Energy and Climate Dialogue held in February 2026, which reinforced mutual interest and the opportunities of strengthened collaboration, specifically on fixed offshore wind, floating offshore wind (FLOW) and deepwater offshore wind.

Both countries are committed to enabling the development of floating and deepwater offshore wind, recognising the potential of these technologies to contribute towards the UK's and Japan's long-term decarbonization targets, enable economic growth and enhance energy security.

Over the past year, significant progress has been made through various public-private workshops aimed at improving auction systems and advancing discussions on testing centers facilitated by FLOWRA, OREC and EMEC.

UK-Japan commercial collaboration includes the establishment of JERA Nex bp. Japanese companies have also participated actively in UK floating offshore wind projects in both Allocation Rounds 6 and 7.

Purpose of the Compact

The compact seeks to harness the complementary strengths of both countries, including the UK's experience in offshore wind policy, market frameworks, and project delivery, and Japan's industrial capability and manufacturing expertise, to catalyze growth in what both governments describe as a nascent sector.

Through the compact, the two governments aim to pave the way for the large-scale commercial deployment of fixed-bottom, floating, and deepwater offshore wind; strengthen and diversify supply chains; deliver an aligned cost-reduction pathway for floating and deepwater offshore wind deployment; and develop an aligned technical roadmap to facilitate the scaled deployment of floating and deepwater offshore wind technology in both markets.

The governments also aim to encourage increased investment and exports across both markets, strengthen energy security through increasing domestic clean power generation, and situate the UK and Japan as global leaders on floating and deepwater offshore wind.

Pillar One: Co-Investment in Offshore Wind Projects

The first pillar of the compact covers co-investment in UK and Japanese offshore wind projects. The UK continues to welcome Japanese investment into UK offshore wind projects, recognizing the positive contribution Japanese investment has already made to the UK's offshore wind deployment and wider growth objectives.

In the other direction, the UK will continue to support the development of Japan's early-stage fixed-bottom offshore wind projects through bilateral collaboration and the exchange of expertise.

The two governments recognize the vital role UK companies can play in supporting Japan's domestic market and the value of their potential contributions to the wider supply chain.

The compact notes that the UK and Japan already have successful co-investment projects, which provide a strong model for future collaboration. Both sides welcome the opportunity for further joint initiatives between UK developers, Great British Energy (GBE), Japanese developers, and financial institutions, with a focus on accelerating deployment, cost reduction, and industrial delivery of floating and deepwater offshore wind.

Pillar Two: Testing and Demonstration of Floating Technologies

The second pillar covers collaboration on the testing and demonstration of floating and deepwater offshore wind technologies, including foundations and other enabling systems, in the UK and Japan. Both sides recognize that testing and demonstration are critical to accelerating the commercial readiness of floating and deepwater offshore wind.

Leveraging the complementary technological strengths of both countries, the two governments have agreed to cooperate on supporting the transition from demonstration to commercial deployment across several areas.

These include aligning on foundation substructure development activities, including facilitating discussion on technical learning, innovations, best practice, and potential standardization with relevant government bodies, research institutions, and companies, as appropriate, arising from future test and demonstration activities.

The compact also commits to building on existing cooperation between research and innovation bodies, including collaboration between ORE Catapult and FLOWRA, and to exploring cooperation on floating offshore wind supply chain technologies, including in subsea engineering, robotics, and digitalization. Both sides will further encourage participation by British and Japanese businesses in these activities.

Context of the Wider Relationship

The compact formalizes a relationship that has been developing across multiple channels. Beyond the 2025 memorandum and the February 2026 energy and climate dialogue, commercial ties have deepened through structures such as JERA Nex bp, and testing bodies including FLOWRA, OREC, and EMEC have facilitated discussions on testing centers on both sides.

The agreement places floating and deepwater offshore wind at the center of the bilateral energy relationship, with both governments positioning the technologies as key to meeting long-term decarbonization targets while supporting economic growth and energy security through increased domestic clean power generation.

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