Saronic Technologies has broken ground on Port Alpha, a $3.2 billion shipyard at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, moving one of the largest new U.S. shipbuilding projects in decades from planning into construction. Vice President JD Vance and Texas Governor Greg Abbott joined company executives for the September 30 ceremony, with operations expected to begin in 2028.
Saronic Technologies, the Austin based maker of autonomous vessels, will build the yard on an initial 835 acres, roughly 630 football fields, with options that could expand the footprint to nearly 4,400 acres. The company says Port Alpha will open with about 150,000 gross tons of annual shipbuilding capacity, which it says would more than double current U.S. commercial shipbuilding capacity.
Gulf Coast industry is also driving investment in storm protection. Farther up the coast, the Coastal Texas Project, better known as the Ike Dike, was first covered by CRO during its Army Corps planning phase in 2022, when the program was estimated at $31 billion. The Gulf Coast Protection District now puts the authorized cost at about $35 billion, with the state of Texas having appropriated $950 million and Congress adding a first $5 million in federal preconstruction funding for fiscal 2026.
Saronic Port Alpha Shipyard Starts With a 1.2 Million Square Foot First Phase
The first phase calls for 1.2 million square feet of enclosed production space spread across eight to 10 buildings, which equals about 21 football fields under roof. It also includes more than 2,500 feet of deepwater quay, nearly half a mile, and two to four positions for final ship erection.
Saronic is planning annual steel processing capacity of about 75,000 tonnes. The yard will initially build vessels up to 850 feet long, nearly three football fields end to end, and future expansion could support ships longer than 1,200 feet.
Saronic selected the JE Dunn and Alberici joint venture as contractor for the initial construction phase, according to its groundbreaking announcement. According to Alberici, the same pairing was tapped for a $300 million expansion of Saronic’s shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, which focuses on the 180 foot Marauder.
CEO Dino Mavrookas said “American shipbuilding needs to be rebuilt for what comes next.” He added that the facility is designed around modular construction and higher production throughput for both autonomous and conventional ships.
Saronic Port Alpha Shipyard Draws $80 Million in Texas Support
Texas backed the project with an $80 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant and a $78,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus. In addition, Port Alpha qualifies under the state’s Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation program, and the Texas Tribune reported that the grant depends on Saronic filling 35 percent of the yard’s jobs with local residents.
Saronic expects up to 10,000 direct jobs over the next decade, spanning welders, machinists, naval architects, software engineers and robotics specialists. Governor Abbott said a fully built out yard would deliver about $750 million a year in payroll.
Saronic and state officials estimate a long term economic impact of $264.5 billion for Texas, although the groundbreaking announcements did not provide the details behind that projection.
Saronic chose Brownsville after a year long national search that evaluated sites on the East, West and Gulf Coasts. The company cited deepwater access, workforce availability, logistics and room for expansion.
Saronic Port Alpha Shipyard Builds on Navy Contract Momentum
Port Alpha is moving ahead as Saronic’s Navy business expands. The company plans to build U.S. Navy LCU 1700 landing craft at Brownsville after being selected this month, alongside Conrad Shipyard and Master Boat Builders, for prototype agreements with a combined obligation of roughly $280.5 million.
One day before the groundbreaking, Saronic disclosed a Navy production award for its 180 foot Marauder autonomous surface vessel under the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel Marketplace. The vessel completed more than 140 Navy test scenarios during eight days of continuous evaluation at sea.
In March, Saronic closed a $1.75 billion Series D round at a $9.25 billion valuation. Furthermore, the company says the capital supports Port Alpha alongside expansion of its existing facilities in Louisiana and Texas.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Port Alpha shipyard
- Developer and Owner: Saronic Technologies
- Location: Port of Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas, United States
- Project Type: Shipyard and advanced manufacturing facility for autonomous and crewed vessels
- Project Value: $3.248 billion capital investment
- Site Size: 835 acres initially, expandable to nearly 4,400 acres
- Capacity: About 150,000 gross tons of annual shipbuilding capacity, with steel processing of about 75,000 tonnes per year
- Vessel Size: Up to 850 feet initially, with expansion to support ships over 1,200 feet
- First Phase: 1.2 million square feet of enclosed production space in eight to 10 buildings, more than 2,500 feet of deepwater quay and two to four final erection positions
- Construction Start: Groundbreaking on September 30, 2026
- Operations Start: Expected in 2028
- Jobs: Up to 10,000 direct jobs over the next decade
- State Support: $80 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant, $78,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus and JETI program incentives
- Economic Impact: Estimated at $264.5 billion for Texas by Saronic and state officials, with supporting details not provided
- Main Contractor: JE Dunn and Alberici joint venture, initial construction phase
Project Team
Owner and Developer
- Developer and Owner: Saronic Technologies
- Site and Port Authority: Port of Brownsville
Construction
- Joint Venture Partner: JE Dunn (official website not confirmed)
- Joint Venture Partner: Alberici (official website not confirmed)
- Design and Engineering: Not publicly disclosed
Public and Local Partners
- State Incentives: Office of the Governor of Texas (official website not confirmed)
- County Government: Cameron County (official website not confirmed)
- Economic Development: Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation (official website not confirmed)
- School District: Point Isabel Independent School District (official website not confirmed)
Related Project: Coastal Texas Project (Ike Dike)
- Non-Federal Sponsor: Gulf Coast Protection District
- Federal Lead: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Initial Engineering Firms: Jacobs Solutions and HDR (official websites not confirmed)
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