Dominion Energy signed a contract with Siemens Gamersa Renewable Energy to supply 176 wind turbines for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project (CVOW).
The 2.6 GW project is the largest offshore wind farm currently under development in the United States. Once finished in 2026, CVOW would generate enough energy to power 660,000 homes.
Siemens Gamesa would construct the wind turbine blades at its recently announced blade finishing facility at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal, where Dominion is leasing property. The site represents a $200 million investment, which is expected to create 300 jobs in support of CVOW.
Dominion said it plans to use Siemens Gamesa’s SG 14-222 DD, one of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines in operation. With a capacity of up to 14.7 MW, each turbine rests on a tower more than 800 feet tall with blades extending 354 feet (greater than the length of a football field) and a rotor diameter of 728 feet.
Once the turbine parts are delivered, they will be pre-assembled at the neighboring Dominion site before being loaded onto the company’s ferry. The parts will then be taken for installation off the Virginia Beach coast.
Dominion Energy and Siemens Gamersa also came to terms on a 10-year service agreement for turbine maintenance. All the agreements are subject to permitting and other government processes.
Renewable Energy World has followed the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project since its announcement. In November, we reported the estimated cost of the project had increased to $10 billion.
Dominion Energy CEO Bob Blue told investors at the time that the projected levelized cost of energy for the project was $87 per megawatt-hour. That was within the $80-90 range initially outlined for the project, but still resulted in an overall cost increase of $2 billion. He said that additional tax credits being considered as part of the Biden administration’s now uncertain Build Back Better agenda could lower the project’s cost.
