NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning in Norfolk is making way for a facility that will help Dominion Energy bring wind energy to Hampton Roads.
“This project really solidifies Hampton Roads as a hub for green energy and wind energy in particular,” said Rep. Bobby Scott.
The Fairwinds Landing LLC is located at the old Lambert’s Point Dock property in Norfolk. The company is building an offshore wind monitoring and coordination center for Dominion Energy.
“We will be able to monitor the 176 turbines that are located 25 to 35 miles offshore from a base here,” said Dominion Energy COO Diane Leopold.
Dominion is building those 176 wind turbines right across the water at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal. The MCC will also be the point from which Dominion employees working on the wind farm will be transported. Equipment too large to move on roads will also be shipped from there.
“There’s a lot of demand for this waterfront property, deepwater access and no air draft restrictions out to the ocean,” said Fairwinds Landing CEO Jerry Miller.
That means they can get to sea with no bridge to slow them down.
The development will create hundreds of jobs both during construction and after it is in use.
It brings Dominion Energy a step closer to delivering offshore wind energy to homes and businesses.
“To be able to have the magnitude of 660,000 homes being served from a single facility of 2.6 gigawatts is enormous in being able to meet our clean energy goals,” Leopold said.
Newport News Shipyard will also use Fairwinds Landing to support its aircraft carrier program. Miller said that other private manufacturing businesses are also looking at the property, which could bring more jobs and more money to Hampton Roads.
Construction on the monitoring and coordination center is expected to be complete sometime in 2025.
“Fairwinds Landing will be a world class marine logistics center,” Miller said.
