Virginia's Rinky Dink Wind Project Still Alive

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
I would have expected this long-festering little tiny effort to have been cancelled a long time ago. Tinkering with demonstration and "pilot" projects like this might have made some sense 5 years ago...but with nearly 5000 offshore turbines in operation elsewhere around the world now, operated by companies like Orsted, this "pilot" project is barely even a PR stunt now. Can't let that grant money get away, I guess...

https://www.offshorewind.biz/2018/07/25/virginia-offshore-wind-pilot-to-apply-for-scc-approval/?utm_source=emark&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-update-offshore-wind-2018-07-26&uid=69352
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
I would have expected this long-festering little tiny effort to have been cancelled a long time ago. Tinkering with demonstration and "pilot" projects like this might have made some sense 5 years ago...but with nearly 5000 offshore turbines in operation elsewhere around the world now, operated by companies like Orsted, this "pilot" project is barely even a PR stunt now. Can't let that grant money get away, I guess...

https://www.offshorewind.biz/2018/07/25/virginia-offshore-wind-pilot-to-apply-for-scc-approval/?utm_source=emark&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-update-offshore-wind-2018-07-26&uid=69352

Pilots typically grow into something more, as stated in your link.

The two turbines should be in operation by late 2020 and are expected to provide the operational, weather and environmental experience needed for large-scale development in the adjacent 112,800-acre site leased by Dominion Energy from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

If fully developed, the large-scale lease area could generate up to 2GW of offshore wind energy. Ørsted holds exclusive rights to discuss a strategic partnership with Dominion Energy about developing the commercial site based on the successful deployment of the pilot wind farm.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Pilots typically grow into something more, as stated in your link.

Except that I know the long history of this "pilot" project.

Now it's become simply "Lets go ahead and install two obsolete wind turbines like we should have five years ago so we don't loose that gummint money".
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
Except that I know the long history of this "pilot" project.

Now it's become simply "Lets go ahead and install two obsolete wind turbines like we should have five years ago so we don't loose that gummint money".

So you're saying Orsted/Dominion won't develop the 112,000+ acres adjacent?
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
So you're saying Orsted/Dominion won't develop the 112,000+ acres adjacent?

Link?

What I AM saying is the pilot project is a total waste of money...taxpayer money.

I work for Orsted..a lot. They've almost reached a point where they are effectively completing one 8mw turbine per day in typical farms of 70-80 turbines. They are not going to "learn" squat from that so-called pilot project. They will get a few bucks for nothing though.

As far as actual real offshore wind development in the US, the first construction will be off of Massachusetts.
 
Last edited:

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
Link?

What I AM saying is the pilot project is a total waste of money...taxpayer money.

I work for Orsted..a lot. They've almost reached a point where they are effectively completing one 8mw turbine per day in typical farms of 70-80 turbines. They are not going to "learn" squat from that so-called pilot project. They will get a few bucks for nothing though.

As far as actual real offshore wind development in the US, the first construction will be off of Massachusetts.

All well and good, but the link states that they could massively build out the adjacent property and the pilot project is being used to essentially justify the larger piece of property. Orsted has already signed their agreement with Dominion, no?

What would be more of a waste of taxpayer money....doing a pilot with 2 turbines and have it fail, or installing 2GW (250 turbines @ 8MW ea.) and finding out it's not suitable and/or not producing near its capacity?

I'm working on offshore projects as well, but due to NDAs, cannot speak on anything.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
All well and good, but the link states that they could massively build out the adjacent property and the pilot project is being used to essentially justify the larger piece of property.

*Could" being very much the operative word. Orsted, Statoil and Vestas have, with US partners, won BOEM leases for vast offshore tracts up and down the eastern seaboard. That in and of itself says virtually nothing about future construction possibilities. It's when the states start auctioning off power purchase obligations that things will actually move forward.

Bottom surveys of various kinds (both site and cable run), wind and wave surveys, shore connection studies, harbor studies for construction and O&M phases...THOSE are the things the precede real offshore wind projects and the technologies and procedures are all very well developed by companies like Orsted. They do NOT, however, go build a couple turbines to learn what they need to learn unless it's some brand new approach...like HYWIND, off Scotland. That pissant little VA boondoggle ain't that.

This shows where the disconnects are:

In 2012, Dominion Virginia Power was one of seven projects selected by the U.S Department of Energy to develop an offshore wind demonstration facility.

That's just the award date; what was submitted is even older than that. Offshore wind technology has matured quite dramatically since 2012. The Virginia project is now a classic illustration of "Building for Tomorrow, With Yesterday's Technology, Today". But hey...I'd take the money too, I guess. Even if it's for nothing learned.
 
Last edited:
Top