Dominion’s offshore wind vessel arrives in Hampton Roads

The United States’ first offshore wind turbine installation vessel — set to play a major role in constructing Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project — has arrived home in Hampton Roads, five years after construction first began.

The $715 million, U.S.-flagged ship, named Charybdis after the sea monster from Greek mythology, arrived at Portsmouth Marine Terminal on Sept. 17, according to Dominion Energy spokesperson Jeremy Slayton.

The vessel, owned by Dominion through its subsidiary Blue Ocean Energy Marine, will play a crucial role in the utility’s $10.9 billion CVOW project off the coast of Virginia Beach, as it will install CVOW’s 176 wind turbine generators and their components, such as the turbine towers, nacelles and blades.

While construction of Charybdis wrapped up in September, Slayton said that the vessel is currently undergoing its final punch list items in accordance with its certificate of inspection. He did not provide an estimated date for when the ship would begin erecting the turbines.

Once operational, CVOW will consist of 176 wind turbines generating up to 9.5 million megawatt-hours per year, or enough energy to power up to 660,000 homes.

Dominion first announced plans for Charybdis in 2020, with construction beginning that same year in Brownsville, Texas. According to Slayton, at peak, the project employed more than 2,000 workers who engaged in welding, fabricating and construction activities.

The vessel’s hull measures 472 feet in length, 184 feet in width and 38 feet in depth, making it one of the largest vessels of its type worldwide. Its crane can lift up to 2,200 tons and can handle both current turbine technologies and next-generation sizes of 12 megawatts or larger. The vessel has accommodations for 119 people.

According to Slayton, the vessel can carry the components for four turbines at a time. Turbine installation times will vary, though it is expected to get faster as Dominion advances along in the project.

The ship is compliant with the 1920 federal Jones Act, which requires cargo moved between U.S. to be ferried by a U.S.-flagged vessel.

“Jones Act compliance is important because Charybdis can move between a U.S. point and another U.S. point,” Slayton said via email. “Meaning, Charybdis can load up with turbine components at Portsmouth Marine Terminal (a U.S. point) and install them on top of a monopile foundation (a U.S. point) in the sea.”

The CVOW project is about 60% complete, Slayton said, and remains on schedule for full completion in late 2026, with CVOW anticipated to begin delivering power to the grid in Q1 2026.