Denmark wind turbine company eyes Colorado for factory

A Denmark-based company selling parts for wind turbines is considering building a factory in northern Colorado.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission on Thursday approved $3.3 million in tax incentives over eight years for an unnamed Danish company called “Project Saffron.”

The company supplying materials and parts for wind turbine blades wants to build a manufacturing site in Larimer County to be closer to one of its top clients based in Colorado, which also was not named.

It’s also considering expanding in Wyoming and South Carolina, according to the Colorado EDC.

The wind turbine manufacturing facility is expected to add 210 jobs in the state with an average wage of $78,230. The company would hire for managers, engineers, technicians, human resource workers and administration roles.

A representative for the company attended the EDC meeting over Zoom, thanking the organization for approving its tax credits and said company officials look forward to making the project happen.

“Our expansion to the U.S. is of strategic importance to our company,” he said. “We have assessed a number of states and locations and we find Colorado attractive.”

Code names for projects are allowed to keep the companies' site selection process confidential.

More incentives to attract companies

The EDC also approved incentives for two more companies Thursday, each worth about $1 million in job creation tax credits.

A startup sodium-ion battery producer is interested in building a research and development campus in Commerce City, according to documents filed with the EDC.

The Commission approved $1 million over five years for “Project 11,” a sodium-ion battery producer. The company is also considering Michigan, Kentucky, and California. The company is enticed by Colorado’s business incentives, local talent and renewable energy policies.

The campus is expected to add 162 new jobs with an average annual wage of $120,000.

The company asked for tax incentives through the strategic fund, rather than the typical job growth fund, because it’s an early startup that won’t be profitable until 2027 or 2028, said a company representative named Landon at the meeting.

The unnamed company could potentially be Peak Energy, a Denver-based startup founded in 2023 specializing in sodium-ion energy storage. Its CEO is Landon Mossburg, a former executive at Tesla and Northvolt.

“The company's goal is to scale up and manufacture,” the company representative told commissioners. “Manufacturing starts for pilot projects. We have four customers lined up for that next year. And then we start mass manufacturing in ‘26.”

The project could be a big boon for Colorado’s supply chain as Asian companies dominate in sodium-ion battery production, according to the EDC.

Another $1 million in job growth incentive tax credits over eight years was approved for “Project Lightspeed,” a manufacturer for communications technology including for commercial or government uses. Its clients include the U.S. military and NATO.

It also partnered with an international company to manufacture LiFi, Light Fidelity communication — an alternative to WiFi by using light to transmit information.

The company is considering opening a manufacturing facility in El Paso County due to labor talent, costs and proximity to the region’s Department of Defense operations. The company is also considering Cheyenne, Wyo., Tampa, Fla. and Virginia.

If company officials decide on Colorado, the manufacturing facility could add 120 jobs with an average wage of $68,000, according to its application.