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Karin Rix Holländer
Executive Assistant MA
The first jacket foundation for the United States’ largest offshore wind project, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), was completed and shipped from Port Esbjerg after an extended period of work. Port Esbjerg is the only port in the world equipped with the necessary infrastructure and capacity, including specialised heavy-lift cranes, to facilitate the production of foundations of this scale.
Complex processes and efficient collaboration
On a chilly morning at Port Esbjerg, a 60-metre-tall yellow steel structure stood ready. The jacket foundation, weighing approximately 2,445.6 tonnes, was slowly transported from the production site at the port – where it was also manufactured – to the awaiting transport vessel.
The transportation was carried out along paved roads on custom-built heavy-load transport vehicles, ensuring the massive jacket foundations were moved safely and steadily.
As the vehicle reached the transport ship, it carefully ascended the ramps while technicians and logistics experts guided the foundation into place with careful precision. After thorough safety checks and under favourable weather conditions, the foundation was secured, and the transport vessel set course for the USA.
This complex process demands the right conditions to successfully execute such a challenging task.
The jacket foundation will serve as one of the supporting elements for an offshore transformer station in Dominion Energy’s CVOW project. Once completed, it will be the largest offshore wind project in the United States, representing a landmark development in the acceleration and scaling of offshore wind projects across the Atlantic.
“Producing and transporting these foundations require both the right equipment and effective collaboration. Our infrastructure and capacity to handle heavy and complex constructions are crucial for ensuring a smooth process, which demands careful planning and close cooperation between technicians, logisticians and operators,” said Jesper Bank, CCO of Port Esbjerg.
The task reflects the significant development spanning the port’s core business areas.
In the future, even larger vessels – cargo ships, RoRo vessels, military ships and wind turbine installation ships – will be able to dock at Port Esbjerg thanks to its continuous development, expansion and improvement. This positions the port to tackle challenges that only a few European ports are equipped to handle.
This makes Port Esbjerg a key player in the industry and a hub for heavy transport.
The largest project in US waters
Led by the American energy provider Dominion Energy, CVOW is an example of how global players collaborate to realise large-scale offshore wind projects.
CVOW is located approximately 40 kilometres off the coast of Virginia Beach, USA, and, once fully operational within the coming years, will include 176 wind turbines with a total capacity of up to 2.6 gigawatts – enough to supply 660,000 Virginia households. The project is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to five million tonnes annually.
This impressive project highlights the necessity of significantly scaling up offshore wind projects to maximise contributions to the green transition.
Global collaboration drives the project forward
Global collaboration underscores the importance of a worldwide network and strong supply chains that can deliver highly specialised expertise. Projects like this require a wide range of partners and companies pulling together to ensure success.
As the driving force behind the project, Dominion Energy has played a vital role in overseeing and planning all processes for the entire initiative.
CS Wind Offshore has manufactured the gigantic jacket foundations, designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the Atlantic, where strong currents and winds place high demands on stability.
Semco Maritime has provided critical technical expertise, designing and installing electrical systems, emergency power solutions and inter-array cables connecting the transformer stations to the wind turbines’ power grid.
The mentioned stakeholders – and many others – are the foundation for making global shipping projects a reality from Port Esbjerg. The port has served as the logistical hub for the production and shipment of the enormous jacket foundations.
“This project demonstrates how Port Esbjerg can offer the necessary infrastructure and capacity to support large and complex projects across logistics and transport. At the same time, we are pleased to contribute our part to the strong collaboration between the involved companies that make projects like CVOW possible worldwide,” said Jesper Bank.
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