May Monthly Mariner’s Update

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.

CVOW Marine Coordination Center

The CVOW project established a shoreside Marine Coordination Center to monitor and coordinate all offshore activity related to project construction and operations. The MCC is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Monopile Installation

Monopile installation activities are scheduled to begin in the northwest area of the CVOW site early this month.

The M/V Orion will load and transport several monopiles from the project staging area at Portsmouth Marine Terminal to the site where the installation will begin.

The M/V Atlantic Ocean and M/V Go Patriot will also provide support.

Once monopiles are installed, temporary marine lighting will be installed on the monopile foundations.

USCG Safety Zones In Effect

The U.S. Coast Guard has established 179 temporary 500-meter safety zones around the construction of 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.

The Coast Guard will provide notice of each enforcement period as soon as practicable in response to an emergency or hazardous condition.

Buoy Installations

Scientific measurement buoys will be deployed in the lease area for the duration of construction. The buoys will be deployed from the M/V Go Freedom.

These devices will be gathering data including meteorological conditions, acoustic measurements and sound field verifications. These buoys will be migrating throughout the lease area and export corridor during construction.

Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) Identification and Relocation

Vessels will be working on relocation activities in and around the export cable corridor offshore, the lease area and east of the Dam Neck Ocean Disposal Site (DNODS).

M/V HOS Mystique will continue MEC relocation activities, joined by M/V HOS Bayou and with the demobilization of HOS Innovator and HOS Warland. 

The M/V Atlantic Breeze will be conducting light debris relocation in support of the MEC relocation work throughout the cable corridor.

Temporary safety zones for navigable waters surrounding project vessels is in effect through July 1, 2024.

Direct Pipe® Punchout Construction

Construction activities to support the offshore export cable landing sites will be occurring onshore at and offshore of the State Military Reservation (SMR) in Virginia Beach.

Direct Pipe® installation plans to resume in May after a brief pause and is scheduled to be completed in August.

Installations of the transition joint bays (TJBs) will also begin in May and will continue throughout the remainder of 2024 and into early 2025.

Component Arrival

There are several scheduled arrivals of components to Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT) in May, including six transition pieces and four monopiles via the M/V Sun Rise.

Fisheries Resource 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, Channeled Whelk and Atlantic Surfclam in and near the project area.

The use of new acoustic release device technology avoids the need for vertical lines and marker buoys in the water.

Project Vessels

The latest list of vessels supporting the project in MEC relocation and disposition, transportation and installation, and surveys can be found here.

Ron Larsen

Fisheries Liaison Officer
Sea Risk Solutions

(570) 242-5023

[email protected]

Michael Lewis

CVOW Marine Affairs Manager
Dominion Energy

(757) 236-8222

[email protected]