Bladt Industries A/S, a global leader in foundations and substations for offshore wind, and Burns & McDonnell, a 100% employee-owned engineering, construction, fabrication and architecture company based in the U.S., have announced 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.
“Burns & McDonnell is recognized as an industry leader in the U.S. transmission and power delivery markets,” said Anders Søe-Jensen, CEO of Bladt Industries.
“With Burns & McDonnell having the ability to deliver projects in the U.S., combined with Bladt’s long track record and position as a central player in the green energy transition, our alliance can offer a unique solution to offshore wind developers looking to combine industry experience and local sourcing in the U.S. offshore wind marketplace.”
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.
“Our firm has supported critical infrastructure projects for more than 100 years, and we are committed to supporting offshore wind projects that will help provide efficient, sustainable energy for years to come,” said Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO, Burns & McDonnell.
“Through our alliance with Bladt, we can provide offshore wind developers a reliable U.S. supply chain with support and experience from an industry leader in the European market.”
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.
“The alliance will naturally use the strengths and experience of our firms to provide value and a low-risk solution for offshore wind developers,” said Brett Williams, AZCO president.
“With the alliance, our team has the right blend of experience with East Coast building trades, offshore wind manufacturing and large project execution. As the U.S. becomes a new and strategic market for offshore wind, we are well positioned to deliver on these large-scale projects.”
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.