SPARROWS POINT, Md. — Trade Point Atlantic and Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind agreed Tuesday to develop Maryland's first offshore wind energy staging center at the former Sparrows Point steel mill.
The agreement aims to turn the site into a wind energy hub and help in the development of Ørsted’s Skipjack offshore wind farm, located 19.5 miles off Maryland’s coast.
Officials at Trade Point Atlantic hope the agreement will make them the East Coast's supply chain leader for offshore wind energy, which could create thousands of jobs and new manufacturing opportunities in Sparrows Point and throughout Maryland.
One of nine Ørsted projects under development on the Eastern Seaboard, the Skipjack Wind Farm alone is expected to create 1,400 jobs in the state, and when complete, generate enough clean energy to power 35,000 homes.
In 2017 the Maryland Public Service Commission green-lit the project and awarded Skipjack offshore wind renewable energy credits, after the company announced its intention to invest $200 million in the state.
Construction for the Skipjack is scheduled to begin by 2021 and to be operable by 2022.
The planned staging center will total 50 acres, including 5 acres adjacent to Tradepoint Atlantic's deep water loading or shipping dock.
Along that space, 45 acres will be used by Ørsted to assemble, receive, and ship out components to be delivered to the Skipjack project site.
