The first US-made offshore wind turbine installation vessel has begun sea trials, and is expected to be ready for installation work during this year’s construction schedule.
Dominion Energy’s Charybdis commenced sea trials this month in the waters off of Brownsville, Texas, and is contracted to Dominion Energy’s 2.6GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) array.
CVOW is set to begin turbine installation this spring, according to Dominion.
Once sea trials for the vessel have concluded in the early part of this year, the vessel will move to sea fastener installation, with delivery to the CVOW project set for the third quarter of the year.
The WTIV will be the first vessel compliant with the Jones Act, which mandates that vessels moving cargo between US ports are US-built and US-owned.