Ørsted Offshore Wind Hub Comes in East Coast

Laxman Pai July 25, 2019

Image: Orsted

Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind announced a landmark agreement to develop Maryland’s first offshore wind energy staging center at Tradepoint Atlantic, a 3,300-acre global logistics center in Baltimore County, Maryland.

Establishing a facility for offshore wind at Tradepoint Atlantic marks a major milestone in the development of Ørsted’s Skipjack Wind Farm located 19.5 miles off Maryland’s coast, and the expansion of Maryland’s offshore wind energy workforce.

The developer will work with Tradepoint Atlantic, based in Baltimore County, to develop a staging area for on-land assembly, storage and loading out into deep waters. Tradepoint Atlantic is owned by Redwood Capital Investments and Hilco Global.

“Together with Tradepoint Atlantic, we are making history by developing the first offshore wind staging center in Maryland,” said Claus Møller, Chief Operating Officer of Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind.

“This new center will create good-paying jobs, leverage Tradepoint Atlantic’s outstanding location and logistical assets, and put Maryland on the map as a global offshore wind industry hub. We are proud to work with Tradepoint Atlantic to make clean energy the newest chapter in the storied history of the Sparrows Point site as we pursue our vision of a world that runs entirely on green energy,” he said.

The Ørsted staging center will total 50 acres, including 5 acres adjacent to Tradepoint’s deep water inner berth. Ørsted will receive and loadout components at the berth and have up to 45 acres designated for laydown and assembly of components destined for the project site off Maryland’s coast.

The center advances Ørsted’s commitment to create 1,400 jobs in Maryland as part of the Skipjack Wind Farm, including 913 jobs measured in full-time equivalents during development and construction and 484 jobs during operation.

“Today’s announcement is tremendously exciting and important, not only for the further development of Tradepoint Atlantic and Ørsted’s Skipjack project, but for the entire clean and renewable energy sector,” said Tradepoint Atlantic Chief Commercial Officer Kerry Doyle.