Ship departs for Virginia Beach offshore wind farm site to install monopiles
After a short delay, the first batch of wind turbine foundations is now travelling to the Virginia Beach offshore wind farm construction site, a Dominion Energy spokesperson said Monday.
The enormous steel monopiles, each almost as long as a football field, are headed to the construction site 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
The monopiles were loaded last week and the ship is now travelling to the site of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, Dominion Energy spokesperson Jeremy Slayton said in a text message.
The voyage was originally scheduled for last week, but was delayed due to the late arrival of a support vessel, Slayton said.
The ship’s departure comes as a judge is weighing arguments in a federal lawsuit brought by a group of anti-offshore wind organizations seeking to stop construction of the project. The groups allege the wind turbine construction would harm endangered North Atlantic right whales. A preliminary injunction request is pending.
The $9.8 billion wind farm will generate enough electricity to power up to 660,000 homes, according to Dominion. Construction is planned to continue until the end of 2026.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
