Dominion Energy has completed the installation of the 12MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project, located 27 miles (43km) off Virginia Beach.
CVOW marks the first offshore wind farm to be approved by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and installed in US federal waters, said the company.
In addition, the turbines will be subjected to acceptance testing prior to energising and the project is expected to produce adequate clean, renewable energy for 3,000 homes in Virginia at peak output.
Dominion Energy chairman, president and CEO Thomas F Farrell said: “The construction of these two turbines is a major milestone not only for offshore wind in Virginia but also for offshore wind in the United States.
“Clean energy jobs have the potential to serve as a catalyst to re-ignite the economy following the impacts of the pandemic and continue driving down carbon emissions.”
Initially announced three years ago, the CVOW pilot project has received Virginia State Corporation Commission approval in November 2018.
Onshore construction of the electrical interconnection facilities and the half-mile conduit which holds the final stretch of cable connecting the turbines to a substation near Camp Pendleton was started last summer and completed earlier in 2020.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said: “This project propels Virginia to national leadership in America’s transition to clean energy. It’s also shaping a new industry that will bring thousands of new clean energy jobs to Virginia. By working together, Virginia is shaping an investment that’s good for workers, good for business, and good for the American economy.”
Dominion Energy working on 2.6GW commercial offshore wind project
Dominion Energy will leverage its permitting, design, installation and operations experience from the pilot project to develop its proposed 2.6GW commercial project.
The project is on track to begin construction in 2024, and is expected to provide adequate renewable electricity to power up to 650,000 households, once completed.
In April, the company announced that it is continuing the work on commercial project in the US to ensure the completion as scheduled.
