2.6 GW US Offshore Wind Farm Receives Final Federal Permit, Monopile Installation to Start in May

April 16, 2024, by Adrijana Buljan

Dominion Energy’s 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project has received an air quality permit from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the final federal permit required to begin offshore construction. The installation of monopiles at the project site off the coast of Virginia Beach is scheduled to begin in May.

Belgian offshore construction company DEME announced on 15 April that its vessel Orion was headed to the US to install the foundations on the CVOW project. Later the same day, Dominion Energy said monopile installation would start in May.

The developer of the 2.6 GW project released the information in an announcement on the launch of Charybdis, the first US wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), which will install the wind farm’s turbines.

In a press release on 15 April, Dominion Energy also said that CVOW had received its 11th and final federal permit.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued the final Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air quality permit for the CVOW project on 9 April, giving the final authorisation for the construction and operation of the large-scale offshore wind farm.

“The permit includes requirements such as the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting program and applicable Virginia Department of Environmental Quality requirements that regulate air pollutants from the construction and operation of the wind farm, including those from the vessels used to construct and support the project,” the EPA states.

The 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind will have 176 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW wind turbines and three offshore substations, installed at the 113,000-acre commercial lease area, and is set to become the biggest US offshore wind farm once in operation.

The project is currently wholly owned by Dominion Energy but is in the process of becoming a 50:50 partnership between Dominion Energy and the New York City-based investment firm Stonepeak.

The two companies signed an agreement at the beginning of this year, with the transaction being subject to customary and regulatory approvals and expected to be completed by the end of 2024.