The Port of Virginia is making progress toward becoming the key logistical hub for the Mid-Atlantic’s expanding offshore wind energy industry, as it received the first shipment of components for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project on 27 October.
According to a statement, last week, crew members using specialized handling equipment spent two-and-a-half days offloading eight large monopile foundations at Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT).
“We are investing in PMT to ensure it can handle this kind of cargo and it easily passed this first test. Our work here is progressing according to schedule and this terminal is well-situated to meet the needs of the CVOW project. There is going to be a lot of activity taking place here during the next year, and The Port of Virginia is going to establish itself as the Mid-Atlantic’s logistics hub for offshore wind,” stated Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.
The US port has converted a former container terminal to accommodate the huge and heavy components needed in the construction of offshore wind turbines.
Because of their length and weight — more than 76.2 meters long and approximately 1,500 tons on average — monopiles and similar components necessitate a deep-water marine terminal capable of handling extreme loads.
Portsmouth Marine Terminal is one of the port’s two multi-purpose terminals in Norfolk Harbor. The 1,161,447-meter facility is in deep water, provides on-dock rail access, and has enough open space for storage/staging.
Furthermore, the port is investing more than US$220 million to bolster the cargo yard’s pavement, restore the berth, and modify the vessel mooring configuration.
There are no overhead obstructions in Norfolk Harbor to restrict the movement of big cargo or specialized vessels, such as those employed in the construction and installation of offshore wind turbines.
The CVOW project will involve the installation of 176 offshore wind turbines on a lease location 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
“This a strategic decision by Dominion Energy to take advantage of Virginia’s world-class port. By welcoming Dominion Energy and allowing it to leverage PMT, the port is contributing to the development of an almost entirely new industry. The result is job creation, economic investment, diversification of the Virginia economy and clean, renewable energy”, stated Stephen A. Edwards.