Sparrows Point Steel
US Wind is establishing a long-term monopile production facility called Sparrows Point Steel at Sparrows Point in Baltimore. This site was once the home of Bethlehem Steel, when it was the largest steel production facility in the world. US Wind proposes to facilitate the investment of an incremental $150 million in this new facility, which builds on the critical investments of $77 million that will be made to the site at Tradepoint Atlantic (“TPA”) via the MarWin project. US Wind has already entered into an agreement with TPA for site control of over 90 acres at Sparrows Point and intends to upgrade land and buildings, construct new facilities, and purchase state-of-the-art welding and coating equipment for the site.
In March 2023, US Wind announced a new partnership with Haizea Wind Group to manage and operate Sparrows Point Steel. Haizea Wind Group has vast expertise in designing, building, and operating manufacturing facilities for monopile foundations and towers for offshore wind farms across the globe. The partnership between US Wind and Haizea to lead Sparrows Point Steel will create one of the premier offshore wind industrial facilities in the world. Sitting on nearly 100 acres of waterfront in Baltimore County, Sparrows Point Steel is poised to become the best offshore wind heavy logistics and fabrication yard on the East Coast. Haizea’s depth of knowledge and expertise will cement Maryland’s role as a hub of offshore wind manufacturing in the U.S.
Sparrows Point Steel will produce the monopile foundations and other steel components needed for US Wind’s first two Maryland offshore wind projects- MarWin and Momentum Wind – and have the capabilities to service the entire U.S. offshore wind market on the East Coast . Work at Sparrows Point Steel will include, but not be limited to, roll-bending steel plates, welding, painting and coating, in addition to staging and marshalling large component parts for the U.S. offshore wind industry.
Sparrows Point Steel adds a new dimension to the economic benefits of Maryland’s offshore wind program by creating long-term manufacturing jobs. The twenty-year projections of the economic impact of establishing Sparrows Point Steel are as follows:
| Direct Jobs Per Year | 530 |
| Labor Income (20 Years) | $1,019,056,500 |
| Total Economic Output (20 Years) | $2,972,895,500 |
Why Monopiles?
Owing to the simplicity of design and installation, monopiles are the most used foundation type for offshore wind turbine support structures. Sparrows Point Steel will produce monopiles up to 39 feet in diameter and up 400 feet in length. Monopiles can weigh as much as 5,500,000 pounds each. A single year production will consume over 220,000,000 pounds of steel plate.
Sparrows Point Steel has the potential to be one of the largest offshore wind staging ports in the United States. The facility will have significant marshalling and storage land, as well as considerable quayside access and an adjacent drydock, making it one of the most competitive offshore wind marshalling hubs on the East Coast. Sparrows Point Steel will be able to effectively stage and deliver wind tower components, such as nacelle, towers, and blades, as well as foundations, making it a leading hub for offshore wind logistics on the East Coast.
Organized Labor
US Wind has already made substantial commitments to organized labor organizations to ensure that the skilled labor needed to build both a major energy infrastructure project and a new steel fabrication business is available from the Maryland community.
US Wind has entered into a landmark agreement with the United Steelworkers to support the operations of Sparrows Point Steel. Sparrows Point has a special historical relevance to the United Steelworkers and the greater Baltimore community, which thrived when Bethlehem Steel was still in operation. US Wind will bring steel back to Sparrows Point, and we will do so in strong partnership with the United Steelworkers to reinvest in family-sustaining manufacturing jobs that supply the offshore wind industry in Maryland and all along the Eastern Seaboard.
US Wind has also executed agreements with major regional labor organizations for the construction of our offshore wind projects: the Baltimore-D.C. Building Trades (“BDCBT”) and IBEW Locals 126 & 313. US Wind has a strong interest in the welfare of workers employed by the construction managers, contractors and subcontractors for our projects.
