Offshore wind power study completed by Dominion and ABB

Its equipment and submarine transmission cables at $652m are also a part of the study that is conducted. $389m for the 230kV cable system, $250m for the offshore platform (topside and substation), $9m for 230kV onshore variable shunt reactors including installation and $4m for breaker bays to terminate cables are all included in the study.

US Interior Department had proposed an area of 700sq km for the project that included an output power of 3GW of wind energy generating capacity that was estimated by ABB. Onshore transmission system located in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia of DVP will have each platform located up to 15km from the onshore transmission system.

To test the feasibility of designing, constructing and maintaining submarine cable interconnection facilities that will be powered from the offshore wind resources that would enable the electric power to be used by customers within its service area for the determination of these factors DVP, an investor-owned utility was proposing ABB for the same.

Potential onshore interconnection options and upgrades needed to support offshore wind farms was a topic of which a study was conducted by DVP in 2010.

DVP has also planned to set up several wind turbines in the area off Virginia. To progress in this they have also planned to confront the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on their plans to commence the project and also apply for the permit by the federal agency that oversees offshore wind development on the outer continental shelf beyond three mile state ownership.

Jim Norville a DVP representative has informed about the cost that is a major barrier for offshore wind to compete with fossil fuel energy sources. The cost to the customer of the generation costs 11 cents/kWh including transmission and distribution, versus about 24 cents/kWh for offshore wind generation alone, according to a Us Energy Department estimate.

www.abb.com