BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Governor Wes Moore today announced that Ørsted, a leading clean energy company, is enabling the development of Maryland’s first offshore wind advanced foundation component center at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County. Governor Moore joined David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted and other company representatives for the announcement at Tradepoint Atlantic, where he also signed into law the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act, which quadruples the State’s offshore wind energy goal to 8.5 GW by 2031.
Riggs Distler, a leading union construction solutions firm, will serve as Ørsted’s general contractor and construct and assemble advanced foundation components to be used on wind turbines, such as boat landings, ladders, internal and exterior platforms, railings, grating, and other items for Ørsted’s offshore wind projects. Components range in size from 12 to 150 tons and are as tall as 45 feet.
The 40-acre center creates 125 union construction jobs and 20 professional staff jobs, and expands Maryland’s position as a leading hub for the American offshore wind industry.
The center is part of Ørsted’s Shore-to-Shore supply chain in Maryland. Many of the components produced at Tradepoint Atlantic will first be prefabricated at Crystal Steel Fabricators in Federalsburg on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Ørsted and Crystal Steel entered into a landmark supply agreement in 2021 that will create 50 new Maryland jobs.
Ørsted holds the top position in the global offshore wind energy industry with approximately 5 gigawatts in development in the U.S., including the 966-megawatt Skipjack Wind off the Maryland coast. Skipjack Wind will create thousands of jobs in Maryland, power nearly 300,000 homes with renewable energy, and help the State achieve its goals of 8.5-gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2031 and 100 percent clean energy by 2040.
Ørsted will utilize the components built at this center to help construct projects in its U.S. portfolio, including Skipjack Wind, and to serve the broader U.S. offshore wind industry.
“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 Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
“We are proud to partner with Governor Moore, Tradepoint Atlantic and Riggs Distler to
bring family-sustaining offshore wind jobs to the Baltimore region,” said David Hardy Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “Our new center at Tradepoint Atlantic will enable us to advance the construction of our offshore wind portfolio, deliver clean energy to millions of American homes and further position Maryland as a long-term offshore wind energy hub. 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. 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.”
“Investing in new opportunities for economic development, sustainable energy, and green jobs makes our County stronger, healthier, and more equitable,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “The new AFC Assembly Facility is another example of how our continued partnerships with Tradepoint Atlantic and Ørsted are fueling a remarkable turnaround for Sparrow’s Point and making this storied site a national leader for logistics, manufacturing, and clean energy for years to come.”
"You cannot ask for a more strategic location for the offshore wind industry than Tradepoint Atlantic," said Kerry Doyle, Managing Director for Tradepoint Atlantic. "Our geographic position puts us squarely in the middle of the thirteen planned lease areas, and we provide logistical advantages that no other facility can offer. Four years ago, we welcomed Ørsted as our first offshore wind tenant with the launch of Maryland's first Offshore Wind Staging Center. Today, we’re embarking on the next chapter and look forward to the continued growth of this new clean energy industry at Tradepoint Atlantic and within the State of Maryland."
“As a Maryland incorporated construction company with over a century of experience, we are proud to continue building the local supply chain needed to support the offshore wind industry as general contractor for Ørsted”, said Steve Zemaitatis, Jr., President & CEO of Riggs Distler. "Backed by our strong union workforce, we will employ more than 125 skilled tradesmen and women to construct advanced wind turbine foundation components and 20 professional staff positions at Tradepoint Atlantic. We look forward to continuing to work with Ørsted to support a cleaner energy future for generations to come.”
“We are excited to put this new partnership into action to show Maryland and the entire country what happens when business, labor, and government work together”, said Jermaine Jones, Baltimore Director for the Baltimore/D.C. Building Trades. “This project will put hundreds of hard-working Marylanders on a job with health care, family-supporting wages, and retirement securities. This is an investment not only in our infrastructure but in the citizens of Maryland as well; this is exactly the kind of economic boost our state needs.”
Ørsted in 2022 signed the National Offshore Wind Agreement with North America’s Building Trades Unions, the labor organization representing more than 3 million skilled craft professionals. The partnership includes 15 International Union Presidents and their local affiliates and sets the bar for working conditions and equity, injects hundreds of millions of dollars in middle-class wages into the American economy, creates apprenticeship and career opportunities for communities most impacted by environmental injustice, and ensures projects will be built with the safest and best-trained workers in America.
The $14 million Advanced Foundation Component Center brings Ørsted’s total investments at Tradepoint Atlantic to nearly $30 million. The company committed $13.2 million in port upgrades at Tradepoint Atlantic as part of Maryland’s first offshore wind staging center.
Ørsted’s other offshore wind supply chain commitments in Maryland include:
About Ørsted
A global clean energy leader, Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted is the first energy company in the world with a science-based net-zero emissions target as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
In the United States, the company has approximately 700 employees and a growing portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. A leader across the renewable energy sector in the United States, Ørsted holds the top position in offshore wind energy with approximately 5 gigawatts in development and operates America’s first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island. Ørsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. To learn more about the Ørsted U.S. business, visit us.orsted.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ØrstedUS).