The first foundations for Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project have been shipped from Germany to Canada for eventual installation 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, Va.
On March 31, the foundation components for two 6MW Siemens Gamesa windmills were loaded onto the Netherlands-flagged BigRoll Beaufort at the EEW facility in Rostock, Germany. In order to be able to transport all wind equipment in the most safe way, the in-house engineers of Roll Group have designed dedicated grillage for Jan De Nul, the contractor who will install the turbines. This grillage was installed onboard the BigRoll Beaufort in Gdynia, Poland, before loading.
After loading in Rostock, the BigRoll Beaufort made a port call in Esbjerg, Denmark, to load the ‘white’ parts - like towers and blades. Mid April she set sail to her final destination Halifax, Canada. At this moment the BigRoll Beaufort is ready for the discharge operation. The foundation components will be discharged by Jan De Nul’s installation vessel Vole au Vent, also flagged in the Netherlands, which will sail to the wind farm to install the foundation components. Jan De Nul will assemble and commission the tower sections onboard the BigRoll Beaufort and prepare it for installation by the Vole au Vent. The feeder solution enables the installation work to be performed in line with Jones Act requirements.
Installation, commissioning and testing of CVOW’s two turbines will continue during the summer. Meanwhile, a group of smaller ships will oversee final preparations for the power cable – completing its trenching and burial and then connecting it to Dominion Energy’s onshore infrastructure. Dominion Energy said it expects to finish all this work and begin harnessing offshore wind energy by late 2020.
“This project is important to us,” says Bastian Bojko, Operations Director Roll Group. “Because it gives us the opportunity to show that Roll Group has vessels that are highly suitable for the offshore wind industry. Being part of this pioneering and complex project where our vessel is an integral part of the shipping and assembly scope shows the true added value we can deliver from a technical and operational perspective.’’
Philippe Hutse, Offshore Director of Jan De Nul Group, said, “This contract is an important milestone for the international maritime industry. It opens the door for non-US marine companies to work in the United States. Moreover, this wind farm is the first American wind farm located in Federal Waters. We are proud to be the first European marine contractor to pave the way.”