Saronic has broken ground on Port Alpha, a planned next-generation shipyard at the Port of Brownsville that the company says will represent more than $3 billion in private investment and create up to 10,000 direct jobs.
The 835-acre shipyard is designed to build both autonomous and manned vessels, with Saronic holding an option to expand the site to nearly 4,400 acres. The company estimates the project could generate $264.5 billion in economic impact for Texas.
Vice President JD Vance (R) and Governor Greg Abbott (R) joined federal, state, and local officials, Saronic leadership, and community members at the groundbreaking ceremony in Brownsville.
"American shipbuilding needs to be rebuilt for what comes next," said Dino Mavrookas, Saronic co-founder and CEO. "Port Alpha is where that starts."
Mavrookas said the facility is being designed to produce autonomous and manned vessels at scale, with modularity and production throughput incorporated into the shipyard's design.
"Texas is the new leader in American shipbuilding," said Abbott. "Port Alpha will create 10,000 jobs and put hundreds of millions of dollars in annual paychecks into the hands of Texans. These ships will be built in Brownsville by American workers for the defense of the United States."
Saronic said Port Alpha will initially provide 150,000 gross tons of annual shipbuilding capacity, which it says would more than double current U.S. commercial shipbuilding capacity. The company said the facility could eventually scale to more than 2 million gross tons.
At opening, the shipyard is expected to build vessels up to 850 feet long.
The company said Port Alpha is intended to supplement existing U.S. shipbuilders and provide additional capacity for defense and commercial customers, as well as U.S. allies and partners facing shipbuilding backlogs.
