The demonstration project will include two 6MW turbines and it will be located 27 miles from the coast and will be connected to the grid infrastructure. Ørsted and Dominion Energy stated that the two turbines will sit on 80 feet of water and rise more than 550 feet above the ocean’s surface, but will not be visible from the Virginia Beach shoreline.
This is a $300m project and it will be funded through existing base rates, provided by the Grid Transformation & Security Act.
Ørsted, which was hired by Dominion Energy for the construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project (CVOW), said that a research vessel will conduct final ocean floor mapping before the construction process can begin.
It is expected to generate emissions-free energy by December 2020. The project also needs approval from the the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and it will the second commercial-scale offshore installation.
Dominion Energy chairman, president and CEO Thomas F. Farrell II said: “Today’s announcement further affirms our commitment to a new era of clean, renewable energy for the Commonwealth. We are truly excited to bring offshore wind to Virginians for the first time.”
As per the two companies, the project will provide critical permitting, construction and operational experience and could pave way for more than 2GW of carbon-free electricity generation from the adjacent 112,000 acre wind energy lease area. This will be enough power about half a million homes in the US. Presently, Dominion Energy leases the acreage from BOEM that will be needed for this facility.
Ørsted’s North American president Thomas Brostrøm said: “Ørsted is the energy supplier in Europe that has come the farthest in the transition to renewable energy, and we are excited to bring our expertise to Virginia.
“This project will provide us vital experience in constructing an offshore wind project in the United States and serve as a stepping stone to a larger commercial-scale partnership between our companies in the future. We see the tremendous potential in the Mid-Atlantic for emission-free, renewable wind generation and we are excited to help the Commonwealth in reaping the benefits of wind power.”
