Dominion CVOW: 2.6GW offshore wind farm

Ramboll is supporting the US energy company, Dominion Energy, develop and engineer the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. It’s set to become the largest offshore wind farm in the United States and one of the largest in the world.

The wind farm’s 176 turbines will supply 660,000 US homes with zero-carbon electricity when operational by the end of 2026. It will significantly contribute to the State of Virginia's target of 30% renewable electricity by 2030, and the Biden administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW offshore wind in the same timeframe.

As the owner’s engineer, Ramboll provides consultancy services to Dominion Energy on all development aspects of the wind farm. Ramboll brings a range of in-depth expertise to the partnership, providing Dominion Energy with a one-stop-shop for offshore wind solutions.

“Ramboll is a respected, global leader in the offshore wind industry and their expertise will be a valuable asset as we develop our Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project,” said Mark D. Mitchell, vice president of generation construction for Dominion Energy when the project was awarded.

“Working with experienced offshore wind leaders, such as Ramboll, will help us bring clean, renewable energy to our customers and achieve our goal of net zero emissions,” he added.

In addition to tangible emission reductions, the mega project contributes to solving a pain point in the US wind market: a lack of local supply chains and specialised expertise in offshore wind.

“The US is an exciting market for offshore wind and it’s in motion. However, much of the know-how for offshore wind is in Europe. The first step in building US offshore wind capacity is to bridge the gap between EU technology and service suppliers, and US energy developers,” explains Dr Tim Fischer, global director for offshore wind services at Ramboll.

“Dominion Energy is developing the infrastructure needed for the wind farm from the ground up, while Ramboll is providing technical development, project management, and advisory. It’s a unique model that allows both partners to learn what is required to execute a commercial scale, locally supported offshore wind facility in US waters,” he adds.

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind is a cornerstone of Dominion Energy’s comprehensive energy strategy to achieve net zero carbon and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. When operational, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project will be the first wind farm to be operated by a US utility company.

Ramboll has worked in the US offshore wind market for more than 15 years and in the European market for 30 years. We have a proven track record of successfully completing offshore wind projects in 21 countries and have designed the foundations for over 60% of all offshore wind turbines in the world. In addition, we are involved throughout offshore project lifecycles for most the world’s offshore wind farms.