The first transition pieces (TPs) destined for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project have been loaded in at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the US.
In April, MV Sun Rise departed from the quayside of CS Wind Offshore in Aalborg, Denmark, loaded with six TPs for the 2.6 GW CVOW project.
Weeks later, Dominion Energy, the developer of the offshore wind project, received the units at the marshalling harbour.
According to CS Wind Offshore, the company responsible for the manufacturing of 176 TPs, the weather conditions during the load-in were favorable with low wind speed and clear skies allowing a smooth load-in operation.
The units are up to 30 metres high and close to eight metres in diameter. Each element weighs 540 tonnes to 570 tonnes, including secondary steel, according to the manufacturer.
DEME Offshore is responsible for the installation of the TPs on top of the monopiles set to be delivered by EEW SPC , which will together support 176 Siemens Gamesa’s 15 MW wind turbines .
The lighting for the transition pieces will be provided by Glamox.
The monopile installation work is well underway at the offshore site located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, with the first unit being installed last month by DEME Group’s heavy lift vessel Orion .
Once fully constructed in 2026, the 2.6 GW offshore wind farm will be able to generate enough electricity to power up to 660,000 households.