December 17, 2020 — The keel has been laid for the vessel that will help create an $8 billion offshore wind farm off the Virginia coast, which will be the largest offshore wind project in the United States.
Dominion Energy made the announcement on Wednesday, calling it a “monumental step for the offshore wind industry in America.” The keel is the bottom-most central steel structural beam on a vessel.
The 472-foot ship, which will be the first Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, is being constructed by the global marine shipbuilding firm Keppel AmFELS at its Brownsville, Texas shipyard. Officials have lauded its domestic-focused supply chain, which will use more than 14,000 tons of U.S. steel, most from Alabama and West Virginia.