Delays in getting the wind turbine installation vessel Charybdis into operation have led Dominion Energy to push back the start date for turbine installations on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. The company now anticipates starting installations in late November, a shift from their earlier estimate of September.
Dominion Energy announced this delay during their Q3 earnings call on Friday. They reported that Charybdis arrived in Portsmouth, Virginia, in September after finishing sea trials. Siemens Gamesa successfully made modifications for handling and installing the turbines after the vessel's delivery. Although major systems are up and running, there are "a variety of quality-assurance items that need to be addressed," per Dominion.
Currently, the team is working on about 200 items on a punch list, with around 120 of those already resolved. Management assured that there are no government or political delays affecting the project. They also confirmed that the recent government shutdown has not impacted the vessel's timeline.
CEO Robert Blue expressed disappointment regarding the Charybdis, stating, "I am extremely disappointed that Charybdis has again not met expectations. I know how important it is to reliably meet our commitments, and we fell short in this case." He noted that while the ship's design and build methods follow global best practices, they did not fully account for the risks of being the first Jones Act–compliant wind turbine installation vessel built and regulated in the United States.
Even with the delay in turbine installation, the company still expects to start delivering power from the project to customers in late Q1 2026, with full completion anticipated by the end of 2026. However, they mentioned that they have significantly cut the contingency for weather and vessel maintenance schedules, which could delay some final turbine installations until early 2027. Importantly, there are no seasonal restrictions for installing the turbines, unlike some other parts of the offshore wind construction process.
The projected cost of the Charybdis vessel remains around $715 million, unchanged from last quarter. However, the overall cost estimate for the CVOW project has increased from $10.9 billion to $11.2 billion due to tariff impacts.
The Charybdis is notable for being the first wind turbine installation vessel built in the U.S. that complies with the Jones Act. It was constructed at the Seatrium AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.