Port of Albany wins town approval for $350 million offshore wind tower factory
Robin Cooper, Albany Business Review
May 16, 2022
The Port of Albany will begin construction of the nation's first offshore wind tower factory after the Bethlehem town planning board unanimously approved the $350 million project Tuesday evening, clearing the way for an investment that will create 550 jobs.
Marmen Welcon, a joint venture involving companies from Quebec and Denmark, will operate the 590,000-square-foot factory at the Hudson River port, producing wind towers and other components for their Norwegian partner, Equinor.
"This is the largest thing the port has ever done," said Port of Albany chief executive Rich Hendrick. "We put all of our effort into offshore several years ago and this project will be as monumental as building the original port."
The planning board approved the site plan for the wind tower complex less than a month after the port awarded a $42.7 million contract to CDMG Building Systems of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, to supply four metal buildings that will serve as the centerpiece of the factory. The first building is scheduled to arrive Oct. 1.
"We still have several hurdles to address, but this is a big step. It was a total team effort," Hendrick said.
The plant will be located on 82 acres acquired by the port in 2018. A separate 20,000-square-foot building will be located on a 14-acre site at 700 Smith Blvd. in Albany.
Marmen Welcon will employ 550 welders, electricians, assembly workers, painters and support staff. The complex initially was expected to employ about 350, but strong demand prompted the manufacturers to add an additional 200 jobs to their projected headcount.
The factory will be operated by Canadian machining company Marmen Inc. and steel fabricator Welcon of Denmark. Their joint venture will produce towers and transition pieces, which connect the towers to the foundation. Production is scheduled to begin by the fourth quarter of 2023.
New York state has projected that the offshore wind industry will create up to 10,000 jobs over the next several years with average salaries of $100,000 a year.
The offshore wind tower complex will produce wind tower sections up to 33 feet in diameter and 164 feet long. The transition pieces will measure up to 115 feet long and weigh up to 1.76 million pounds.
The project is tied to New York state's goal of constructing 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind along the Atlantic Coast by 2035.