Hello Marcos,

Offshore construction work for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commenced in late February 2024 with the first seabed disturbing activity — the relocation of the first Munition of Explosive Concern.

The goal of our monthly email updates is to give a high-level overview of ongoing and planned near-term construction activities and the vessels involved. Questions regarding construction operations are welcomed and can be directed here.

Weekly updates are published in the USCG Local Notice to Mariners which can be found here.

Mariners and the public are reminded that due to the nature of the construction activities, project vessels may be restricted in their ability to maneuver. It is requested that mariners communicate with project vessels on Channel 16 VHF to coordinate any necessary passing arrangement. Safety vessels will be on scene to assist with the coordination of commercial and public marine traffic and project vessels.

We remain committed to maintaining communications with fishing communities and other mariners in the area via these periodic updates, informational speaking engagements and dock visits. This information is also posted on the CVOW website.

August Current and Planned Operations

Pre-lay grapnel runs are forecasted to begin in the cable corridor in mid-August with the M/V Go Seeker
CLV Livingstone arrival at the project site with the first set of subsea cables
Monopile installation activities will continue in the northern area of the CVOW site
Multiple large project components are scheduled for arrival at Portsmouth Marine Terminal
Ongoing fisheries resource studies in and around the Lease Area
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), on behalf of Dominion Energy, has published the “Surfclam resource monitoring at the CVOW development site” final report

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Project Background Information

CVOW is a 2.6-gigawatt offshore wind energy project that will consist of 176 wind turbines located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, three offshore substations, undersea cables and new onshore transmission infrastructure to deliver emissions-free wind power to homes and businesses.

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CVOW Marine Coordination Center

The MCC monitors and coordinates all offshore activity related to project construction and operations – 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Phone: 757-366-7000
Cell: 757-731-8307
Email: [email protected]

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Offshore Installation Activities

Monopile Installation

M/V HOS Ruger has been mobilized to support installation activities as a second DBBC vessel.

The area marked in green indicates the general area of completed monopile installations. The area outlined in orange indicates the focus over the next four weeks.

Specific installation locations are published weekly in the USCG LNM.

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Marine Lighting on Monopile Foundations

Once monopiles are installed in the seabed, quick-flashing yellow marine navigation lights will be installed and operated from sunset to sunrise.

For up-to-date status of foundation and lighting installations, please reference the current USCG LNM.

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Rock Placement Around Foundations

Scour protection installation activities are ongoing with the installation of the "Filter" layer composed of finer rock materials around each seabed penetration point of the monopile.

The M/V Flintsone is currently conducting this installation, which will continue over the following 18 months.

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USCG Safety Zones In Effect

The U.S. Coast Guard has established 179 temporary 500-meter safety zones around the construction of the 176 wind turbine generators and three offshore substations in federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Each will be enforced individually for a period lasting approximately 48 hours as construction progresses from one structure to the next.

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Buoy Installations

Acoustic measurement and meteorological buoys are deployed in the lease area for the duration of construction from the M/V Go Freedom and will be migrating throughout the lease area and export corridor.

Please continue to avoid locations where project buoys may be deployed in the lease area. These buoys play a vital role in the CVOW compliance and environmental protection process and can be easily damaged by vessel strikes.

Click below to see the schedule and specific areas.

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Seabed Preparation

Initial planned UXO/MEC relocation efforts have been concluded.

The M/V Northstar Navigator is scheduled to depart the project in early August and the M/V HOS Bayou will continue to assist the M/V Mystique with marine debris relocation.

Mid-August is scheduled to mark the beginning of additional seabed preparation activities with the addition of the M/V Go Seeker, who will be conducting pre-lay grapnel runs (PLGR).

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Port Operations

Large components such as monopiles and transition pieces will continue to arrive and be staged at Portsmouth Marine Terminal.

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Fisheries Resources Characterization Studies

Dominion Energy is working with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), the Virginia Marine Resource Commission (VMRC) and commercial fishermen to study Black Sea Bass and Channeled Whelk in and near the project area.

The final report for the Atlantic Surfclam surveys that were conducted in June of 2023 has been published and is available here.

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Recreational Fisheries

Access to the lease area for recreational activities is unrestricted unless construction activities are active.

For questions about access, the F/V Atlantic Bounty or the F/V Capt Danny are the on-site project safety vessels and can provide direction via VHF Marine 16, or mariners may reach out to the Marine Coordination Center.

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