Saronic has selected Brownsville, Texas as the site for Port Alpha, a “next-generation” shipyard intended to strengthen US shipbuilding.
Port Alpha now moves from concept to reality through a planned investment of more than $3bn, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026.
The company expects to open the shipyard for operations in 2028.
Initially situated on 835 acres at the Port of Brownsville, with the opportunity to expand to nearly 4,400 acres, Port Alpha will encompass a shipyard and manufacturing facility capable of producing vessels up to 850-ft. Future site expansion could support the production of vessels over 1,200 ft, according to Saronic.
Saronic said the location was chosen after a year-long, nationwide search evaluating sites across the East, West, and Gulf Coasts, with Brownsville selected based on criteria including infrastructure readiness, workforce availability, land scale, logistics, and expansion potential.
The company projects the shipyard will generate over $160bn in economic impact for Cameron County and $264.5bn for the state of Texas.
Up to 10,000 direct jobs are expected to be created, spread across skilled trades (welding and machining) and advanced fields such as robotics, software engineering, and naval architecture.
“America’s maritime future depends on our ability to build again,” said Dino Mavrookas, Co-Founder and CEO of Saronic. “Port Alpha is our commitment to that mission. Built from the ground up to deliver ships at a speed and scale not seen since World War II, this investment is about more than constructing a shipyard. It is about rebuilding the industrial capacity, workforce, and manufacturing advantage required to ensure American maritime leadership for decades to come. The state of Texas and city of Brownsville give us the foundation to turn that vision into reality.”
Port Alpha builds on Saronic’s existing shipbuilding investments, including its acquisition of a shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana in early 2025.
The company is investing $300m to add 300,000 square feet of production capacity.
That facility will continue producing Saronic’s 180-foot Marauder autonomous vessel, which was designed and launched in less than one year, Saronic said.
