Dominion Energy has completed the first phase installation of monopile foundations and offshore substation foundations at its 2.6GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.
The installations of 78 monopile foundations and four offshore substation foundations exceeded the company’s initial target of setting at least 70 monopiles in the seabed. These foundations are located 43.4km off the coast of Virginia Beach.
The CVOW project will feature 176 turbines and is designed to generate enough renewable energy to power up to 660,000 households. The offshore wind facility is said to be the largest offshore wind development underway in the US.
It is also projected to yield fuel cost savings of $3bn for customers over the first decade of its operations.
Remaining on budget and on schedule, the CVOW project is now 43% complete and is set for final completion by late 2026.
Over the coming months, Dominion Energy will prioritise the installation of its first offshore substation, lay additional export cables, complete onshore transmission infrastructure, and install transition pieces on the monopiles.
The turbine installations at the American offshore wind project are slated to begin in 2025.
Dominion Energy chair, president, and CEO Robert Blue said: “Our Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project shows that regulated offshore wind works in the United States.
“As we face unprecedented customer demand, offshore wind is critical to our diverse, all-of-the-above generation mix to keep the lights on for our customers with affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy.”
Staged at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal, the monopile foundations are single vertical, steel cylinder made by EEW SPC.
These foundations will support turbines delivered by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. The next round of monopile installations is scheduled for May 2025, in line with the project’s construction timetable.
Onshore construction for the transmission infrastructure of the American offshore wind project commenced in late 2023, while offshore construction started earlier this year.
The CVOW project has engaged approximately 1,000 local workers, with over 800 personnel in Hampton Roads for the construction activities.
Once operational, the facility is expected to generate over 1,000 local jobs for handling ongoing operations and maintenance.
