‘Punch List’ Items Delay Commissioning of Dominion Wind Turbine Vessel

By Daniel Katzive (gCaptain) – Delays in commissioning the wind turbine installation vessel Charybdis have forced Dominion Energy to push back the anticipated start time for turbine installation on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. The company now expects the first installations to begin in late November, a delay from the September estimate provided in July.

Dominion Energy revealed the setback on the company’s Q3 earnings call on Friday. According to the company, Charybdis arrived in Portsmouth, Virginia, in September after completing sea trials, and Siemens Gamesa successfully completed modifications for turbine handling and installation after delivery. While all major systems are operational, there are “a variety of quality-assurance items that require addressing,” according to Dominion.

Remediation of approximately 200 punch-list items is underway, with about 120 closed. Management confirmed that no governmental or political delays are impacting the project and that the government shutdown had not affected the timing of the vessel’s completion.

CEO Robert Blue said the Charybdis has been a challenge. “I am extremely disappointed that Charybdis has again not met expectations. I recognize the importance of executing consistently against any commitment, and we failed to deliver regarding Charybdis,” said Blue. “It has become clear that while the ship’s design and construction methods are consistent with global best practices, we did not properly account in our timing estimate for the risk inherent in being the first Jones Act–compliant wind turbine installation vessel to be built and regulated in the United States,” he added.

Despite the delay in turbine installation, the company continues to expect power from the project to begin flowing to customers in late Q1 2026, with completion anticipated by the end of 2026. However, the company said it has significantly reduced the weather and vessel maintenance schedule contingency, which could push a few of the final turbine installations into early 2027. Unlike with some other components of the offshore wind construction process, the company says there are no seasonal restrictions on installing the turbines themselves.

The projected cost of the vessel remains approximately $715 million, unchanged from last quarter. The overall cost estimate for the CVOW project has risen from $10.9 billion to $11.2 billion due to tariff impacts.

The Charybdis is the first domestically built, Jones Act–compliant wind turbine installation vessel ever constructed. It was built at Seatrium AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.

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