Construction of Charybdis began in December 2020, and was successfully completed with the commissioning of its crucial systems. This 472-foot-long vessel, built by Dominion Energy, is now the largest ever to have achieved a total lift of 23,000 tonnes. The ship’s hull and infrastructure were fabricated from over 14,000 tons of domestic steel, mostly supplied by states such as Alabama, West Virginia and North Carolina.
Contributions to the shipbuilding industry
The Seatrium AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, was the site of this construction. The completion of Charybdis is a historic achievement not only for Dominion, but also for the shipyard, demonstrating American industrial capabilities in the complex and technical naval sector.
Impact on the CVOW project and beyond
Charybdis plays a key role in Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, scheduled to support the installation of offshore turbines as early as May this year. Dominion prepared the 176 monopolies needed in Virginia, anticipating this crucial phase of the project.
Cooperation and future prospects
DEME’s Orion vessel, previously used on projects such as the Vineyard in Massachusetts, arrives in Virginia to begin installing monopiles for Dominion. The Charybdis will take over in a later phase, scheduled for completion in 2026. In addition, Ørsted has announced its intention to charter the Charybdis for its Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind projects, underlining the importance of this vessel in the US domestic market, in accordance with the Jones Act.
The launch of Charybdis represents an important milestone for Dominion Energy and for the development of the offshore wind industry in the United States, promoting independence in the installation of large-scale wind infrastructure and strengthening the domestic supply chain.
