Keel laid for Dutch hybrid survey and ROV vessel

The Netherlands-based Neptune Marine has held the keel laying ceremony for the hybrid survey and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) support vessel it is building for compatriot N-Sea.

It was announced in November 2024 that N-Sea had signed a long-term charter agreement with Mainport Shipping for the delivery of the vessel named Geo Master.

Neptune Marine carried out the keel laying ceremony for the vessel on January 21, 2025, in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, the Netherlands.

The vessel is said to be of the same design and equipped with similar equipment as the Geo Ranger which is already under N-Sea Group management and control.

The delivery is expected in the first quarter of 2026, with the vessel set to be operational by mid-March 2026.

Geo Master will be able to run on bio-fuel. N-Sea will have the vessel under full commercial management and control.

N-Sea in recent years made a number of moves to strengthen its fleet and subsea activities. Namely, the company in November 2023 entered into an agreement with Rederij Groen to long-term charter the 4-WINDS vessel and extended its long-term charter agreement with Braveheart Marine for the Braveheart Spirit vessel.

Then in January 2024, N-Sea announced it had chartered Geo Ranger and entered into an agreement with Rederij Groen to long-term charter the modern offshore support vessel Aquarius-G. In July it was reported that N-Sea had concluded the full acquisition of compatriot company Geo Plus.

Most recently the Dutch subsea solutions provider revealed its plan to develop a new-built operations support base in IJmuiden in 2025, said to enable it to support all offshore activities in the Europe region from one location.