As evidence that offshore wind industry is gaining momentum in the United States, Siemens Gamesa and Ørsted have announced the signing of a contract for wind turbines supply for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, developed by Dominion Energy.
Ørsted and Dominion Energy partnered in 2017 to provide Virginia customers with a clean and renewable source of energy. This will be the first offshore wind project to be built in federal waters, setting a significant milestone for the offshore wind industry in the United States, and will be the first project in the country for the companies. Ørsted will build the wind farm, for which it will rely on Siemens Gamesa´s wind turbines. Specifically two units of the SWT-6.0-154 of 6 MW to reach a total of 12 MW of potential energy generated.
“We are pleased to work on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind initiative,” Thomas Brostrøm, president of Ørsted North America explained. “Siemens Gamesa´s exceptional technological trajectory, combined with our successful worldwide experience, will enable citizens and companies in Virginia to experience the benefits of clean, reliable and cost-competitive offshore wind energy.”
Siemens Gamesa and Ørsted have contracted, manufactured, installed and commissioned a total volume of approximately 2,700 MW of offshore wind energy worldwide
Siemens Gamesa and Ørsted boast a long spanning collaboration. In 2013, Ørsted developed the first pilot project for the 6 MW Siemens Gamesa platform, Gunfleet Sands III, located off the coast of the United Kingdom. Siemens Gamesa and Ørsted have contracted, manufactured, installed and commissioned a total volume of approximately 2,700 MW of offshore wind power worldwide.
“We are very proud that our wind turbines be part of the offshore wind project of Ørsted and Dominion Energy, marking an important milestone in the history of our company,” Joergen Scheel, Vice President of Offshore for North America of Siemens Gamesa said. “We have always believed in the future of offshore energy in the United States and, with so much wind potential on the coast of Virginia, we are very pleased to be able to contribute our state-of-the-art wind turbine technology to the country’s energy mix.”
As for the supply of wind turbines, the blades will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Aalborg, Denmark, and the nacelles will come from the Siemens Gamesa plant in Cuxhaven, Germany. Once in Virginia, the wind turbine components will be installed by Ørsted on a single-pillar foundation. Deliveries of this material are expected to begin in mid-2020.
The area has a potential wind energy capacity of at least 2 GW
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind park owned by Dominion Energy and built by Ørsted, consists of two turbines. It will be built within a research area adjacent to the 45-hectare lease area currently owned by Dominion Energy, located approximately 43 kilometers from the Atlantic coast of Virginia. The area has a potential wind energy capacity of at least 2 GW.
“When we announced our project with Ørsted last year we knew there were big goals on the horizon,” said Mark Mitchell, vice president of Generation Construction at Dominion Energy. “Today’s announcement, welcoming Siemens Gamesa to the team, is further proof that Virginia is on the verge of becoming a leader in the offshore wind industry, and also demonstrates that our customers can rest assured that Dominion is committed to a sustainable future.”
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is the continuation of the formerly known as Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Assessment Project. Dominion Energy began working on this initiative in 2011 as part of a grant from the Department of Energy to develop and test new wind technologies that could reduce costs and withstand hurricanes. During that time, key achievements were made to advance the project such as the approval by the Bureau of Oceanic Energy Management (BOEM) of the Research Activities Plan, as well as environmental studies on birds and bats, assessments of ocean currents, archaeological conditions and whale migration patterns.
