Orsted, a leading offshore wind developer, has announced plans to invest in Maryland's first offshore wind “advanced foundation component center” at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County. This new $14 million center will bring Orsted's total investment in Tradepoint Atlantic to nearly $30 million.
The center will construct and assemble advanced foundation components for wind turbines, including boat landings, ladders, internal and exterior platforms, railings, grating, and other items. These components range in size from 12 to 150 tons and are as tall as 45 feet. The 40-acre center will create 125 union construction jobs and 20 professional staff jobs, expanding Maryland's position as a leading hub for the American offshore wind industry.
See also: Orsted acquires remaining stake in 1,100 MW Ocean Wind 1 project off New Jersey coast
Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined David Hardy, Orsted Group EVP and CEO Americas at Orsted, plus other company representatives, for the announcement at Tradepoint Atlantic. Moore also signed into law the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act, which quadruples the state's offshore wind energy goal to 8.5GW by 2031.
“Because of the work happening today at Tradepoint Atlantic, Maryland is on track to become the offshore wind capital of America; it's happening through this partnership with Ørsted, which is going to capture enough wind to power 300,000 homes, create 125 good-paying union jobs, and build a cleaner and greener world,” said Moore.
Orsted is developing the 966MW Skipjack Wind off the Maryland coast and will utilize the components built at Tradepoint Atlantic to help construct projects in its US portfolio, including Skipjack Wind, and to serve the broader US offshore wind industry. This investment is part of Orsted's “Shore-to-Shore” supply chain in Maryland, where many of the components produced at Tradepoint Atlantic will first be prefabricated at Crystal Steel Fabricators in Federalsburg on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
See also: Orsted Achieves Record Earnings with North Sea Wind Asset Sales
“We are proud to partner with Governor Moore, Tradepoint Atlantic, and Riggs Distler to bring family-sustaining offshore wind jobs to the Baltimore region. Our Shore-to-Shore supply chain in the State demonstrates that offshore wind doesn't simply benefit one region of Maryland – it benefits all of Maryland,” said Hardy. “By signing the historic POWER Act into law, Governor Moore has sent a clear message that Maryland is fully committed to building a strong and equitable clean energy economy for decades to come.”
The general contractor for Orsted will be Riggs Distler, a leading union construction solutions firm. With this investment, Orsted is reinforcing its commitment to the US offshore wind industry and the development of sustainable energy sources.
