- Charybdis successfully launched to water at Seatrium AmFELS
shipyard in Brownsville, Texas
consistent with project expectations
- No change to the vessel's timeline which supports the
current Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) construction
schedule
- CVOW receives final federal permit; expects to begin
monopile installation in coming weeks
RICHMOND, Va., April 15,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy announced today
that Charybdis, the United
States' first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine
installation vessel, was successfully launched from land to water,
marking a major milestone in the vessel's construction. To achieve
this milestone, welding of the ship's hull and commissioning of the
vessel's four legs and related jacking system were successfully
completed.
"Charybdis is vital not only to CVOW, but also to the
growth of the offshore wind industry along the U.S. East Coast and
is key to the continued development of a domestic supply chain by
providing a homegrown solution for the installation of offshore
wind turbines," said Bob Blue,
Dominion Energy's chair, president and chief executive
officer.
The 472-foot vessel is being constructed at the Brownsville, Texas shipyard of global marine
and offshore engineering group Seatrium, using domestically-sourced
steel. At peak construction, over 1,200 workers were employed on
this project. Once complete, the home port for the vessel will be
in Hampton Roads, one of the nation's premier offshore wind
installation harbors, and utilize an American crew.
"Seatrium's AmFELS shipyard has partnered with Dominion Energy
in this ground-breaking project to supply the first U.S. Jones
Act-compliant WTIV, Charybdis, playing a critical role in
the country's energy transition. The U.S.-built vessel will not
only contribute towards reliable, affordable and clean energy, but
also benefit local communities in creating a significant local
know-how and job opportunities, paving the way for future growth in
the U.S. offshore wind industry," said Mr. Chris Ong, Seatrium's chief executive
officer.
The vessel's hull and infrastructure was fabricated with more
than 14,000 tons of domestic steel, with nearly 10,000 tons sourced
from Alabama, West Virginia and North
Carolina suppliers. The vessel is designed to handle turbine
sizes of 12 megawatts or larger. The vessel launch marked a
historical achievement as the world's largest completed lift
totaling 23,000 tons.
Also announced today, the CVOW project received a final
construction air permit from the Environmental Protection Agency.
This is the 11th and final federal permit required to
begin offshore construction. Offshore monopile installation begins
in May.
About Dominion Energy
About 6 million customers in 15
states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or
natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in
Richmond, Va. The company is
committed to providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean
energy every day and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.
Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dominion-energy-reaches-major-milestone-in-construction-of-charybdis-the-first-jones-act-compliant-offshore-wind-turbine-installation-vessel-302116744.html
SOURCE Dominion Energy
