Dominion, Dong form US team

Dominion Energy Virginia has signed an agreement and strategic partnership with Dong Energy to build a 12MW offshore wind demonstration project off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The Coastal Virginia offshore development, which was previously known as the Virginia offshore wind technology assessment project, will consist of two 6MW turbines.

It will be built approximately 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach on a 2135-acre site leased by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.

Dominion said the development will provide “critical operational, weather and environmental experience needed for large-scale development in the adjacent 112,800-acre site leased by Dominion Energy from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management”.

The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that gives Dong Energy exclusive rights to discuss a strategic partnership with Dominion Energy about developing the commercial site based on successful deployment of the initial test turbines.

They will now start refining agreements for engineering, procurement and construction of the 12MW project, of which Dominion Energy remains the sole owner.

Dong is to start engineering and development work immediately to support targeted installation by the end of 2020.

The timing for construction depends on many factors, including weather and protected species migration patterns, Dominion said. 

Dominion Energy chairman, president and chief executive Thomas Farrell said: “Today marks the first step in what I expect to be the deployment of hundreds of wind turbines off Virginia’s coast that will further diversify our energy production portfolio, create thousands of jobs, and reduce carbon emissions in the Commonwealth.”

Dong executive vice president and chief executive of wind power Samuel Leupold said: “This project will provide us vital experience in constructing an offshore wind project in the United States and serve as a stepping stone to a larger commercial-scale partnership between our companies in the future.”

Dominion Energy began work on the project in 2011 as part of a Department of Energy grant to develop and test new wind technologies that could lower costs and withstand hurricanes.

Image: Dong Energy