Dominion moves Charybdis installation vessel from land to water
Published by Theodore Reed-Martin,
Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,
Dominion Energy has announced that Charybdis, the US first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, was successfully launched from land to water, marking a major milestone in the vessel's construction. To achieve this milestone, welding of the ship's hull and commissioning of the vessel's four legs and related jacking system were successfully completed.
"Charybdis is vital not only to CVOW, but also to the growth of the offshore wind industry along the US East Coast and is key to the continued development of a domestic supply chain by providing a homegrown solution for the installation of offshore wind turbines," said Bob Blue, Dominion Energy's chair, President and CEO.
The 472 ft vessel is being constructed at the Brownsville, Texas shipyard of global marine and offshore engineering group Seatrium, using domestically-sourced steel. At peak construction, over 1200 workers were employed on this project. Once complete, the home port for the vessel will be in Hampton Roads, one of the nation's premier offshore wind installation harbours, and utilise an American crew.
"Seatrium's AmFELS shipyard has partnered with Dominion Energy in this project to supply the first US Jones Act-compliant WTIV, Charybdis, playing a critical role in the country's energy transition. The US-built vessel will not only contribute towards reliable, affordable and clean energy, but also benefit local communities in creating a significant local know-how and job opportunities, paving the way for future growth in the US offshore wind industry," commented Chris Ong, Seatrium's CEO.
The vessel's hull and infrastructure was fabricated with more than 14 000 t of domestic steel, with nearly 10 000 t sourced from Alabama, West Virginia and North Carolina suppliers. The vessel is designed to handle turbine sizes of 12 MW or larger. The vessel launch marked a historical achievement as the world's largest completed lift totalling 23 000 t.
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The Spring 2024 issue of Energy Global starts with a guest comment from Field on how battery storage sites can serve as a viable solution to curtailed energy, before moving on to a regional report from Théodore Reed-Martin, Editorial Assistant, Energy Global, looking at the state of renewables in Europe. This issue also hosts an array of technical articles on electrical infrastructure, turbine and blade monitoring, battery storage technology, coatings, and more.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/16042024/dominion-moves-charybdis-installation-vessel-from-land-to-water/
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Dominion Energy reaches milestone for first Jones Act-compliant WTIV
Dominion Energy has announced that Charybdis, the US’ first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, was launched from land to water, marking a major milestone in the vessel's construction.