Offshore wind (OSW) will be one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. Baltimore County is poised to be an east coast hub for offshore wind—take advantage of this opportunity for your business or career.
OSW in Maryland
Based on existing state and federal commitments, analysts estimate as much as $140 billion may be invested to build out the OSW industry’s local supply chain over the next decade.
Maryland recently approved two major wind projects (view map) as part of a series of offshore renewable energy developments by two companies, US Wind and Orsted. The state will soon be home to over 130 offshore wind turbines with over 2,000 MW of energy capacity. These developments are projected to come online between 2024 and 2030, with planning and construction taking shape soon. Maryland’s OSW industry will utilize local companies to design, manufacture, build and operate these new projects, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the state.
As the location for the construction and maintenance of critical components in the OSW supply chain, Maryland is poised to host significant economic and workforce development opportunities for residents throughout the State.
OSW in Baltimore County
Baltimore County’s Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA) is an emerging hub for the industry. TPA will serve as a primary local site for cable manufacturing, monopile fabrication, material storage and lay down, and component assembly. It is centrally located among more than 13 other leased offshore wind properties, making it a potential handling or manufacturing site for the entire region for years to come. However, this site will not be able to succeed without the support of a built out local supply chain.
As the industry expands in Baltimore County, there will also be a high demand for local contractors and a need for a trained and ready workforce. In just this recent round of OSW project awards, the State has required that companies create a minimum of 10,324 direct jobs during the development and operating phases.
There are many resources to engage local businesses in this supply chain, help train local workers and support Marylanders who wish to enter this industry. Baltimore County is excited to host this emerging industry and help connect residents to the resources they need.
Opportunities
The OSW industry is expected to generate thousands of new jobs and generate millions in new revenue for Maryland-based businesses. Below are immediate steps for you to take advantage of this opportunity.
For Businesses
The OSW industry will have tiered supply chain for local businesses to play a crucial role. Once vetted, your business can become an approved supplier and be able to bid on contracts within the industry’s supply chain. In the OSW industry, there are thousands of components needed and hundreds of categories of services for local businesses to provide. Examples of engineering, construction, manufacturing needs most immediately wanted in the Baltimore region include:
- Coating
- Construction—Civil and marine
- Concrete
- Masonry/exterior upgrades
- Electrical, utility and industrial gas infrastructure
- Installation of production equipment
- Land improvement
- Marine interface (crane pads)
- Electrical component work and outfitting
- Steel fabrication—Secondary steel
- Suppliers of secondary steel and cable work
- Welding
Become an Approved Supplier
Step 1: Sign up for the Supply Chain Connect
The Business Network for Offshore Wind has created a portal which allows companies to publicly indicate their interest and ability to supply components and services for U.S. offshore wind projects. It is used as a source for identifying potential recipients of requests for proposals (RFPs) as well as identifying local, small, minority-owned, women-owned, and/or veteran-owned businesses for partnership with developers/Tier 1 suppliers.
Step 2: Register with Orsted Procurement Portal
This portal is the first step towards becoming an approved supplier for Orsted. This will allow you to see what goods and services are needed and how to bid on these opportunities.
For Job Seekers
The OSW industry will generate thousands of new jobs for Marylanders over the next five years. Various organizations will be coordinating training cohorts and programs for job seekers to pursue employment opportunities in this emerging industry. There will be a need for workers with certified skills such as:
- Certification inspectors
- Electricians
- Heavy machinery operations (crane, fork lift and transportation)
- Iron working
- Painting
- QA/QC inspectors
- Rigging
- Roll bending
- Sand blasting
- Steel fabrication
- Welding
- Yard operations
Stay Informed
Subscribe to the OSW newsletter to stay up-to-date regarding new information and opportunities within the emerging OSW industry, such as workshops, events, seminars, supplier updates and job opportunities.
Partner Organizations
The following organizations are working together to build this new industry:
- Business Network for Offshore Wind
- Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
- Maryland Energy Administration
- Maryland Regional Manufacturing Institute
- Orsted—Skipjack 1 and Skipjack 2
- Tradepoint Atlantic—OSW at TPA
- U.S. Department of Energy—Wind Exchange
- U.S. Wind—Marwin Project and Momentum Wind
Additional Information
For questions, email offshorewind@baltimorecountymd.gov. Learn more about offshore versus on-shore wind, how this industry has impacted other countries, and OSW in Maryland.