Dominion Energy reaches major offshore wind turbine vessel milestone with keel laying

In its construction of several gigawatts worth of offshore wind capacity along the United States East Coast, Dominion Energy reached a major milestone this week: the laying of the bottom-most central steel structural beam, or keel, for a ship meant to aid installation.

The vessel is itself a massive undertaking of 14,000 tons of domestic steel that, when finished, will be contained in a 472-foot-long, 184-foot-wide ship. It will be one of the largest vessels of its kind, capable of accommodating up to 119 people, turbine technologies, and turbines themselves of 12 MW or larger. It will be able to install foundations for turbines and other heavy lift projects. Current estimates have the vessel launching by the end of 2023 to support more than 5 GW of planned wind generation through 2027.

“This is a monumental step for the offshore wind industry in America,” Robert Blue, Dominion Energy’s president and CEO, said. “Dominion Energy is proud to be leading a consortium of respected industry participants in the construction of the first Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, which will provide significant American jobs, and provide a reliable, home-grown installation solution with the capacity to handle the next generation of large-scale, highly-efficient turbine technologies. This will better enable the offshore wind industry to bring clean, renewable energy to customers in the U.S.”

The Jones Act, contained within the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is a federal law regulating U.S. maritime commerce. It requires that all goods shipped between U.S. ports be transported on ships built, owned, and operated by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

This vessel will be built on the Gulf Coast and based out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, with a U.S. crew manning it.

“Offshore wind is bringing clean energy and new jobs to America, and Virginia is leading the way,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said. “This new vessel will help propel the offshore wind supply chain, drive economic development in Hampton Roads, and grow the offshore wind workforce in our Commonwealth. We are thrilled to celebrate great news like this in what has been a challenging year.”

The vessel is being built by Keppel AmFELS, a global marine shipbuilding firm. In all, the project should cost around $500 million. Once built, it will be available for charter hire.