First U.S.-Built WTIV Charybdis Arrives in Virginia to Begin Installations

Charybdis, the massive wind turbine installation vessel built for Dominion Energy, has reached its home in Virginia after nearly five years of construction. The vessel, which is the first for the U.S. registry and one of the biggest vessels of its kind, remains on track to begin installations for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project later this month, a spokesperson for Dominion Energy told The Maritime Executive.

Dominion confirmed that the vessel docked on Wednesday, September 17, at Portsmouth Marine Terminal in the Hampton Bays area of Virginia. It had departed Texas on August 22, according to its AIS signal. 

Built by Seatrium’s AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, Charybdis is 472 feet by 184 feet (144 x 56 meters) with accommodations for up to 119 people. The 426-foot crane is capable of lifting up to 2,200 tons, including next-generation turbines up to 12 megawatts or larger.

Work on the ship began in December 2020, and it was launched in April 2024. Jack-up and sea trials began early this year, and Dominion reports delivery occurred earlier this month.  Built and registered in the U.S., the vessel is Jones Act compliant, giving it greater flexibility in its operations versus the international vessels that have been employed for the installation of the other U.S. wind farms. 

 

Charybdis is one of the largest vessels of its kind (Dominion Energy)

 

With the arrival of the ship in Virginia, CVOW moves into its next phase and is anticipated to begin delivering its first electrons to the grid in just a few months, early 2026. The company reports the project is at approximately the 60 percent mark in its installation. 

Work has been completed for the installation of 168 of the monopile foundations, as well as 59 of the transition pieces, for a total of 176 turbines. The first of three offshore substations has also been installed, while the deepwater offshore export cables have also been installed. Work is currently underway on the near shore offshore export cables and the inter-array cables. Onshore, work is 93 percent complete for the electric transmission installation.

Construction of the offshore wind farm remains on schedule for completion in late 2026. It will be the largest U.S. offshore wind farm with a total of 176 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW turbines and a total capacity of 2.6 GW.