Spanish renewable energy company Siemens Gamesa will build the first offshore wind turbine blade manufacturing facility in the U.S. in Portsmouth, Virginia.
The new Siemens facility will be constructed on 80 acres of land it will lease at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal. It will produce turbine blades for offshore wind projects throughout the U.S.
It will be part of Dominion Energy’s Coastal Offshore Wind Project, which is projected to be the largest offshore wind farm in the U.S.
Dominion Energy previously selected the company to partner on its offshore wind energy project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Siemens’ $200 million project is estimated to create 310 jobs, 50 of which will be service jobs, according to an announcement made by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday.
Earlier this year, Dominion Energy agreed to lease 72 acres of the Portsmouth Marine Terminal as a staging and pre-assembly area for the foundations and turbines.
The project is expected to be complete in 2026 and generate enough electricity to power up to 660,000 homes at peak, the release said.
Gov. Northam signed into law the Virginia Clean Economy Act 18 months ago. It sets a target for Dominion to construct or purchase at least 5,200 megawatts of energy through offshore wind by 2023 and to generate 100% carbon-free energy by 2045.
“The U.S. offshore market is a critical part of our overall global strategy, with our presence in Virginia playing a crucial and central role,” said Siemens chief executive Marc Becker. “Our investment – reaching triple-digit millions of U.S. dollars – would be energized by the strong collaboration with Dominion Energy and support of Virginia’s legislature and authorities.”
Virginia will support the project through up to $17.1 million of Virginia Public Building Authority bonds for infrastructure improvements and site preparation for the Siemens project. The company will also receive recruitment and training assistance from the state.
