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Initial phase completed for Maryland’s first offshore wind staging centre

By: Tom Russell 17/03/2021 Skipjack Wind Farm

General Windfarms

Ørsted has announced the completion of the initial phase of Maryland’s first offshore wind staging centre at Tradepoint Atlantic, the 3,300-acre global logistics centre in Baltimore County, Maryland.

Ørsted has now completed $13.2 million in port infrastructure upgrades, establishing a lift-on/lift-off and a roll-on/roll-off berth within Tradepoint Atlantic’s port facility for handling offshore wind components such as wind turbine blades, foundations, nacelles, and towers. This includes strengthening the ground bearing capacity at the port to allow heavy-lift cranes and specialised transporters to move wind turbine components, some weighing as much as 2,000 tons, from ships onto the site. Ørsted provided funding to drive hundreds of heavy steel pilings over 150 feet into the ground so that these heavy components can be safely handled.

Ørsted and Tradepoint Atlantic are now beginning preparations for the second phase of the staging centre, which is the development of 50 additional acres of land for the laydown, storage, and assembly of offshore wind components.

“Tradepoint Atlantic is a world-class Maryland asset with a storied legacy of serving the needs of the United States and the world," said Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan. "This Baltimore institution is once again positioned to serve as a critical piece in supporting our country’s clean and renewable energy transformation for generations to come. Now is the time to invest in the kind of infrastructure that supports the development of new industries—like offshore wind—and the creation of thousands of new jobs. Ørsted has an established track record as the global leader in this noble effort, and we’re proud to call them a partner in achieving our climate and renewable energy goals.”

Strum Contracting, a Curtis Bay-based civil construction company, provided steel, welding services and assisted with driving the heavy pilings to improve the staging centre’s ground-bearing capacity. Strum Contracting hired directly from Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) to provide labour on this project.

“Together with Tradepoint Atlantic, we are delivering on our promises to the State of Maryland and have literally laid the foundation of a growing offshore wind workforce and supply chain in the state.” said David Hardy, CEO, Offshore North America, at Ørsted. “We are particularly proud to play our part in repurposing this historic Bethlehem Steel site, an effort that has long been supported by a number of leaders, including Governor Hogan. We thank the Governor, Representative Ruppersberger, the Maryland Public Service Commission, the leadership of Tradepoint Atlantic, and our many other partners at the local, state and federal levels for their steadfast support and look forward to making additional progress on the site in 2021.”

“The completion of the port infrastructure improvements further positions Ørsted and Tradepoint Atlantic as leaders in the offshore wind industry," said Kerry Doyle, Managing Director of Tradepoint Atlantic. "Tradepoint Atlantic is the first facility capable of supporting large-scale offshore wind developments on the East Coast and is ideally positioned to provide comprehensive supply chain solutions capable of sustaining this exciting and growing energy sector. We congratulate Ørsted on their progress and remain committed to supporting the offshore wind projects taking shape along the eastern seaboard.”

Ørsted signed an agreement in 2019 to develop Maryland’s first offshore wind energy staging centre at Tradepoint Atlantic. Establishing a facility for offshore wind at Tradepoint Atlantic marks a major milestone in the development of the company's Skipjack Wind Farm.

The Skipjack project is a 120 MW offshore wind farm under development 19 miles off the Maryland-Delaware coast. It was awarded offshore wind renewable energy credits by the Maryland Public Service Commission in 2017 and is expected to generate enough energy to power 35,000 homes in the region.

The centre also 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.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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Initial phase completed for Maryland’s first offshore wind staging centre

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