176 monopiles for Coastal Virginia OWF

176 MONOPILES FOR COASTAL VIRGINIA OFFSHORE WIND FARM

Between May 2024 and October 2025, across two installation seasons, the CAPE VLT-640 Quad was deployed to install all 176 XXL monopiles for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) farm in US Atlantic waters. Each foundation measured up to 8.5 metres in bottom diameter, reached a length of up to 82 metres, and weighed up to 1,700 tonnes, making them among the largest monopiles installed in US waters to date.

Located off the coast of Virginia Beach in the Atlantic Ocean, CVOW is developed and owned by Dominion Energy and is set to become the largest commercial offshore wind farm in the United States, with 176 turbines producing up to 2.6 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power over 660,000 homes. Installation contractor DEME carried out the offshore works from its heavy-lift, mono-hull DP3 installation vessel Orion, operating in dynamic positioning mode throughout both campaigns.

The full foundation scope was installed across two seasons, in line with the seasonal piling restrictions in place at the site. During the first season in 2024 the team installed 78 monopiles – eight more than the 70 originally planned for the campaign – thanks to the speed of the vibro-installation process. Installation resumed in 2025, completing the full 176-pile scope by October of that year.

With piling restricted to daytime hours, the controlled upending and rapid drive-to-depth of the CAPE VLT proved decisive for the overall schedule. At favourable locations the team installed up to two monopiles per day shift, and the time saved in upending each pile and driving it to safe penetration added up to a significant logistical advantage across the campaign.

The scope concerned flanged monopiles with a top diameter of 7.5 metres, a bottom diameter of up to 8.5 metres. They were installed in water depths ranging from 25 to 40 metres, with a target penetration of up to 40 metres into the seabed. Ground conditions at the site included topsoil layers known to cause pile run (a sudden, uncontrolled drop of the pile during installation), which placed strict demands on installation control and safety.

The CAPE VLT was selected for two decisive capabilities. Firstly, and most importantly for this site, its ability to drive the piles through the troublesome topsoil layers under full control, effectively eliminating the risk of pile run and ensuring a smooth, predictable installation sequence pile after pile. Secondly, its ability to upend each pile from a horizontal transport position to a vertical stance and position it accurately over the target location.

For this campaign the system was configured as the CAPE VLT-640 Quad, delivering an eccentric moment of 2,560 kgm and a safe working load of 3,000 tonnes: the power and grip required to handle 1,700-tonne foundations and drive them to depth efficiently. The combination of pile-run mitigation, controlled upending and precise positioning enabled all 176 monopiles to be installed safely and on schedule across both installation seasons, reinforcing the CAPE VLT’s track record on XXL monopile projects in the world’s most demanding offshore renewables markets.

Find more project details below or contact Dick van Wijngaarden for more information.