Posted on September 8, 2021
Excerpted from the BBJ
Offshore wind developer Ørsted North America has unveiled a proposed $400 million in new investments, including hundreds of manufacturing jobs, as the company seeks approval from the state to launch a second project off the coast of Maryland.
Ørsted, operating as Skipjack Offshore Energy, has proposed the investments along with its 760-megawatt Skipjack Wind 2 project, the second phase of the company’s Skipjack Wind development. Phase one, a 120-megawatt project, is expected to be operational by 2026.
Through the two projects combined, Ørsted is expected to create 2,000 jobs, half of which would be permanent, and contribute $625 million in local Maryland investments.
The newly announced $400 million in commitments include;
- The construction of a $140 million cable manufacturing factory at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County.
- A $10 million investment in STEM education and scholarship programs for Maryland’s local school systems, universities and other stakeholders.
- Labor union commitments.
- The establishment of a supply vessel operator to aid with project development.
The Sparrows Point facility would be the first array cable manufacturing factory in the U.S., spanning 520,000 square feet and yielding an estimated 300 jobs. Orsted will partner with Hellenic Cables to construct and operate the facility, which would provide materials for Ørsted’s projects in Maryland and beyond and help to advance an industry that is only just beginning to emerge in the U.S.
