Energy


certain components, particularly foundations, at more cost-effective prices than anyone else.” As more commercial wind


Wind turbine dimensions


Dominion Energy Virginia is constructing two 6-megawatt offshore wind turbines 27 miles


off Virginia’s coast for a research project. They should be


operational by the end of 2020.


Turbine height (waterline to tip of blade) 185 meters


Rotor diameter 154 meters


Turbine foundation weight


1,075 metric tons


farms come online, a U.S. sup- ply chain is expected to emerge. Virginia could create thousands of jobs building components such as foundations and offshore substations, according to a 2018 report produced by the consulting firm BVG Associates. The report cites Virginia’s pro-business climate, deepwater ports free from overhead obstructions, maritime workforce and dock capacity as its advantages in becoming a major industry player. Like Hager-


man, John Warren, director of the Virginia Depart- ment of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMEE), characterizes the commonwealth as a prime loca- tion for the nascent industry. “Vir- ginia has a robust infrastructure with its port and deep harbor,” he says. “The ports up north are more constrained.” Virginia is exploring ways


Warren Source: Ørsted U.S. But U.S. projects currently


rely on a European supply chain to produce and deliver wind farm components. The components are massive. The 5-megawatt wind turbines at the Block Island Wind Farm are 180 meters tall, or twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. “Today, the only sources for


the components used in the wind industry are manufactured in


42 | APRIL 2019


Europe,” says George Hagerman, a senior project scientist in Old Dominion University’s Center for Coastal and Physical Ocean- ography. “But it’s very expensive and risky to ship turbines, blades and towers from Europe. Virginia is a lot closer to New England. Even though our offshore wind industry is five to 10 years from being developed, we can provide


to collaborate with other states to create a multistate supply chain, Warren adds. “We have the perception that the industry wants a wide net with a lot of flex- ibility. Instead of saying, ‘Come to Virginia, we’ll give you everything you need,’ we say, ‘Come to Vir- ginia, and we’ll let you spread out requirements to as many states as you need.’” Hagerman agrees that collab-


oration is the way to go, especially for mid-Atlantic states awaiting their turn to install offshore wind projects. “Every state has the capacity to create anywhere from 1,000 to several thousand jobs supplying components that are unique to that state,” he says. For example, steel produced


in North Carolina and Maryland plants would become wind-tur- bine foundations in Virginia. “So,


Graphic by Adrienne Reaves-Watson/Ing Images


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