Wind farm sold to a Danish company

The fate of the agreement to buy a building belonging to the city uncertain

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Personal editor

The operations of the Expedition Wind wind farm in southern Marion County have been purchased by Orsted, a multinational energy company based in Denmark.

Orsted is Denmark’s largest energy company, with sales of $ 8.56 billion in 2020.

It has two offshore wind farms in operation and seven other offshore projects in various stages of development in the United States.

It operates seven other onshore wind farms in the United States and has three more, besides Expedition, under construction.

It also has four solar and energy storage centers in the United States and was included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies list in 2021.

Jonathan Vasdekas, project development manager for Orsted, said the sale was finalized on May 25.

“Orsted plans to move the project forward and assess potential construction times,” Vasdekas said. “Orsted will take over all licensing activities relating to Expedition Wind.”

The county’s planning and zoning department has yet to issue a building permit.

Expedition Wind and the town of Marion agreed months ago that the wind farm would purchase a town-owned building in the Marion Industrial Park to make it its operating headquarters. The expedition paid $ 16,000 – the city’s cash share of a grant to bring high-speed internet to the park – to have the building serviced.

The sales agreement expires at the end of the month. In two weeks, it is still unclear whether the Orsteds will purchase the building at 828 N. Roosevelt St.

Marion’s director of economic development Randy Collett said Monday he was confident the sale of the building would go through.

“The company that buys Expedition Wind buys all of the covenants and obligations,” said Collett. “I think we are focusing on buying it.”

Vasdekas was not so confident that the company would buy the building.

“Orsted is currently evaluating the opportunity,” he said.

Expedition has previously left office space that it rented in the Bowron Building at 220 E. Main St. downtown.

Expedition Wind CEO Pat Pelstring said Expedition and Orsted officials will meet with county commissioners on Monday.

Tenant Roger Hannaford was happy to hear of the purchase.

“This is how these projects work,” Hannaford said. “Expedition Wind gets things started with the permits, and then Orsted is a company with the capabilities and the resources to build them, which they do. As a tenant this is what you want if you want it to be built.