Saronic to invest $3 billion in Texas shipyard for autonomous vessels
Autonomous vessel developer Saronic Technologies has announced plans to build a $3 billion shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, where it will build autonomous vessels for commercial and defence markets. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with operations scheduled to start in 2028, according to The Maritime Telegraph.
Named Port Alpha, the new facility is designed for large-scale vessel production using advanced manufacturing and autonomous technologies. The first phase will cover 338 hectares, with room to expand to nearly 1,780 hectares. The shipyard will initially be able to build vessels up to 260 metres long, with future expansion allowing construction of ships exceeding 370 metres.
Saronic chose Brownsville for its deepwater access, skilled workforce, transport connections and space for future growth.
The project is expected to create around 10,000 jobs over the next decade across shipbuilding, robotics, software engineering and naval architecture. The company also plans to work with Texas educational institutions to develop training and apprenticeship programmes.
