Bladt Industries A/S, a global company that specializes in foundations and substations for offshore wind, and Burns & McDonnell, a U.S.-based 100% employee-owned engineering, construction, fabrication and architecture company, have formed a strategic alliance to bring together resources and experience and create local jobs along the Eastern Seaboard.
Under the alliance, Bladt and Burns & McDonnell plan to source, fabricate, produce and assemble steel, concrete and electrical components for individual U.S. offshore wind projects.
“Our firm has supported critical infrastructure projects for more than 100 years. We are committed to supporting offshore wind projects that will help provide efficient, sustainable energy for years to come,” says Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO of Burns & McDonnell. “Through our alliance with Bladt, we can provide offshore wind developers a reliable U.S. supply chain with support and experience.”
The alliance aims to create substantial local jobs and economic benefits by providing local resources, labor and equipment to help meet state and developer goals and policies at or near port facilities along the Eastern Seaboard. As the offshore wind market expands in the U.S., the alliance could help support the potential of hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact and job creation with the added benefit of leveraging institutional know-how from the mature European market. In addition, Bladt and Burns & McDonnell will continue to look to engage diverse businesses as part of the partnership.
Together, Bladt and Burns & McDonnell are proactively working with state officials, developers, trade organizations, fabricators and contractors to build the supply chain needed to support and sustain the growing offshore wind market. This includes the evaluation and pre-qualification of dozens of local fabricators and suppliers throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Through this approach, offshore wind developers can meet local content requirements under the umbrella of Bladt’s steel fabrication experience in the global offshore wind market and Burns & McDonnell’s project delivery experience in the U.S.
AZCO, a union construction contractor and steel fabricator that is part of the Burns & McDonnell family of companies will provide on-site production and assembly services as well as steel fabrication capabilities for the alliance.
Original source: North American Wind Power