- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) remains on budget and
on schedule with construction expected to conclude in late
2026
- DEME Group's heavy lift vessel, the Orion, erects the first
of 176 monopile foundations
RICHMOND, Va., May 22, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy announced today the
first monopile foundation for the 2.6-gigawatt Coastal
Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), the largest offshore wind farm under
construction in the United States,
was installed approximately 29 miles off the Virginia Beach coast. The monopile was
installed by the Orion, DEME Group's heavy lift vessel.
Once complete in late 2026, CVOW will consist of 176 turbines
that will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power up to
660,000 homes and is expected to generate fuel savings of $3
billion for customers during the first 10 years of
operation.
"This is a monumental day for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind
team, who have worked tirelessly to keep this project on budget and
on schedule to provide our customers with reliable, affordable and
increasingly clean energy," said Robert M.
Blue, Dominion Energy's chair, president and chief executive
officer. "We are taking extensive precautions to ensure this
project is fully protective of the environment and to protect
marine species."
"We are proud to partner with Dominion Energy on this landmark
project," said Bill White, President
DEME Offshore US. "DEME's Orion vessel, equipped with
industry-leading Vibro Hammer technology, is uniquely designed to
efficiently install CVOW's massive monopiles, all weighing over
1,000 tons. Our talented project team will include skilled American
union pile drivers, creating a robust and prepared workforce. We
look forward to working with our consortium partner Prysmian to
help deliver Virginia-made energy
to the Commonwealth.
The monopile foundations, which are being staged at Portsmouth
Marine Terminal, are single vertical, steel cylinders manufactured
by global leader EEW SPC and are being installed into the sea floor
to support the wind turbine generators. Consistent with the project
construction schedule, Dominion Energy will continue to install
monopiles through the fall of 2024 and resume installations in May
2025.
To be protective of the endangered North Atlantic right whale,
no monopiles will be installed between
November 1 and April 30, the time that the whales are
expected to be migrating past the project area. Additional
measures to protect whales and other aquatic life include the use
of bubble curtains – perforated hoses that have air pumped through
them – to create a wall of bubbles around the monopiles during
installation to reduce soundwaves underwater. Vessels will also be
staffed by Protected Species Observers and will adhere to speed
restrictions to avoid collisions with protected species.
Offshore wind's economic development and jobs benefits are
transformative for Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth. More than
800 Virginia-based workers – nearly 670 in the Hampton Roads region
– have been engaged on the CVOW project or with other businesses
supporting CVOW. This work includes redevelopment activities at the
Portsmouth Marine Terminal, construction of the offshore wind
Monitoring and Coordination Center, maritime provisioning, ship
upkeep, heavy lift and rigging, cyber security, food service and
hospitality. More than 1,000 local jobs will be needed to support
ongoing operations and maintenance of this facility after the
project begins commercial operation.
View the Spanish version of this press release.
About Dominion Energy
About 6 million customers in 15
states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or
natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in
Richmond, Va. The company is
committed to providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean
energy every day and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.
Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy