London Maritime Academy is a trade name for London Premier Group
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9/23/2025, 10:57:55 PM
Charybdis, the first wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) built in the United States, has landed in Virginia to start construction on the largest offshore wind farm being built in the country, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.
According to its AIS signal, the ship left Texas on August 22 and moored at Portsmouth Marine Terminal in Hampton Bays, Virginia, on September 17.
The company that put Charybdis into service, Dominion Energy, stated that the ship is scheduled to begin putting in turbines later this month.
In Brownsville, Texas, at Seatrium's AmFELS shipyard, Charybdis was constructed. The ship is 38 feet (12 metres) deep, 472 feet (144 metres) long, and 184 feet (56 metres) wide. With space for up to 119 workers and a 426-foot (130-metre) crane that can lift up to 2,200 tonnes, it is capable of installing wind turbines that are 12 MW or more in size.
The ship was launched in April 2024, following the commencement of construction in December 2020. It was formally delivered in September 2025 after sea trials started earlier this year. Charybdis has an advantage over foreign-flagged vessels utilised in earlier offshore wind projects since it is a Jones Act-compliant vessel that is entirely U.S.-built and registered.
Participants in the Maritime Professional Training will learn about electrical machinery, fluid systems, maintenance, leadership, corrosion management, and offshore safety. The programme includes studying wind turbine performance in a wind tunnel and exploring wind turbine assemblies and components.
Charybdis will erect turbines in the western part of the lease area of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which is roughly 43 km off Virginia Beach, according to Dominion Energy.
At this point, the project is roughly 60% finished. For 176 turbines, 168 monopile foundations and 59 transition components have been put in place thus far.
In addition to the installation of the first of three offshore substations, deepwater offshore export cables, nearshore offshore export cables, and inter-array cables are still under construction. The installation of electric transmissions onshore is 93% finished.
At its final stage, CVOW will have 176 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW turbines, producing 2.6 GW of power. When it is completely operational, which should happen in late 2026, it will generate enough renewable energy to power up to 660,000 homes.
