Autonomous vessel developer Saronic Technologies has selected Brownsville, Texas, as the site for a new $3 billion shipyard that will build autonomous vessels.
The facility, called Port Alpha, will be built at the Port of Brownsville. Construction is due to begin later this year, with operations expected to start in 2028. Saronic said the yard will use advanced manufacturing and autonomous technologies to build vessels for both commercial and defence markets.
The first phase will cover about 338 hectares, with room to expand to nearly 1,780 hectares. The shipyard will be able to build vessels up to 260 metres long, with future expansion allowing construction of ships over 370 metres.
Saronic said it chose Brownsville because of its deepwater access, available workforce, transport links and room for future growth.
The company expects the project to create about 10,000 jobs over the next decade, including positions in shipbuilding, robotics, software engineering and naval architecture. It also plans to work with Texas educational institutions to develop training and apprenticeship programmes.
Saronic is best known for developing autonomous surface vessels for defence, but the new shipyard is designed for large-scale vessel production. The announcement follows the company’s recent acquisition of the Gulf Craft shipyard in Louisiana and marks the next step in its expansion.
