Dominion Energy will begin construction on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project in the coming weeks, the Virginia-based energy company’s chairman, president, and chief executive officer Thomas F. Farrell said.
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project will comprise two offshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of 12MW installed in a federal lease area in the Mid-Atlantic some 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Dominion Energy is developing the project in cooperation with Ørsted .
The project will feature Siemens Gamesa 6MW turbines which are expected to start operating in December 2020.
The two wind turbines are expected to provide the operational, weather and environmental experience needed for large-scale development in the adjacent 112,800-acre site leased by Dominion Energy from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
The large-scale lease area has the capacity to generate up to 2GW of offshore wind if fully developed. Ørsted holds exclusive rights to discuss a strategic partnership with Dominion Energy about developing the commercial site based on the successful deployment of the pilot wind farm.