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Saronic Plants $3B Shipyard at Port of Brownsville

Austin-based Saronic announced Thursday it will build Port Alpha, a $3 billion-plus shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The facility is positioned to tap growing demand for autonomous maritime vessels in commercial and defense sectors.

The development is expected to generate up to 10,000 jobs in South Texas while creating more than $160 billion in economic impact for Cameron County. Port Alpha will occupy 835 acres initially, with room to expand to nearly 4,400 acres. The shipyard will produce vessels up to 850 feet long, with future expansion enabling construction of ships exceeding 1,200 feet.

Construction begins later this year. The Port of Brownsville, a 40,000-acre deepwater facility connected to the Gulf of Mexico by a 17-mile ship channel, recently completed the $295.2 million Brazos Island Harbor Improvement Project, which deepened the navigation channel by 10 feet.