Construction of the offshore support vessel Dominus moves ahead following keel laying ceremony in February.
Subsea services specialist N-Sea Group has signed a long-term charter agreement with Dutch shipping and service provider Rederij Groen for the newbuild offshore support vessel Dominus. The vessel is being constructed by PASSER at Shipyard De Hoop in Tolkamer, the Netherlands.
In the final week of February, the project reached an important milestone with the vessel’s keel laying ceremony, marking the official start of full construction. The Delivery of Dominus is scheduled for April 2027.
“This milestone reflects our continued commitment to operational excellence and sustainable maritime solutions,” says Erik Groen, owner of Rederij Groen. “By combining innovation with decades of maritime expertise, we are proud to support our valued partner N-Sea and contribute to a stronger, more resilient maritime sector. To further reduce emissions, highly efficient Tier 3 engines with diesel-electric propulsion will be installed. Careful consideration has also been given to further improving the safety and well-being of the crew. This is entirely in line with the sustainability ambitions of both Rederij Groen and N-Sea.”
“At Shipyard De Hoop, we believe strong partnerships are the foundation of successful projects. Working with PASSER allows us to combine innovation, experience, and precision engineering. We look forward to seeing this vessel take shape and to continuing our long-term cooperation,” says Patrick Janssens, owner of Shipyard De Hoop.
“We sincerely thank Rederij Groen and N-Sea for the trust they have placed in us,” says Lars-Fredrik Bakke, CEO of PASSER. “This contract is a significant achievement for our teams working across companies and borders, and together with Shipyard De Hoop we look forward to delivering this vessel as one team.”
With a length of 69.85 metres, a beam of 15.77 metres and a draught of 4.50 metres, the Dominus is engineered to support safe and efficient operations in the demanding North Sea environment. The vessel will be equipped to perform a wide range of advanced geophysical and subsea activities, including 2D/3D seismic and wide swath UXO surveys. Its spacious deck layout, lifting capacity and midship moonpool provide a strong platform for a significant expansion of N-Sea’s geotechnical capabilities, further enhancing the company’s integrated site investigation offering.
The addition of the Dominus represents an important step in N-Sea’s long-term fleet strategy and demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to expanding and modernising its dedicated tonnage. This investment follows the upcoming delivery of the Survey Vessel Geo Master in April 2026 and the newbuild cable installation and repair vessel Altera in June 2026. Together, these vessels further strengthen N Sea’s position as a leading provider of integrated subsea, survey and cable repair solutions across the offshore energy sector.
“The construction of the Dominus marks an important milestone in N Sea’s ambition to reinforce our leadership in integrated subsea and survey solutions. This vessel will allow us to broaden our geophysical and geotechnical capabilities and to execute increasingly complex offshore projects with confidence. We are proud to work with our partners on a vessel that strengthens our fleet for the decades ahead.” – Patrick Defilet, Director Survey, N Sea Group.
N-Sea will operate the Dominus under full management and control. Dedicated vessels enable N Sea to work with fully integrated teams, ensuring safe, predictable and high-quality project execution for its clients.
