Saronic Finalizes Plan to Build Giant Shipyard at Port of Brownsville
Project ranks among the most substantial investments in American shipbuilding in a generation
The unmanned naval vessel startup Saronic has agreed to build a giant new shipyard at the port of Brownsville, with support from the state of Texas and a substantial property-tax credit package from the local county.
"When this shipyard gets fully built out, there will be about 10,000 employees. Saronic is going to be providing about $750 million in annual paychecks to Texans. That's game-changing for the population of Texas. As Governor, I'm proud that Saronic calls Texas home," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a statement.
Austin-based Saronic plans to spend about $3.3 billion to build what it believes will be the largest shipyard in the United States. The company wanted to build in Brownsville because of plentiful waterfront space, a substantial workforce, and advantages in infrastructure and logistics. Partnerships with local training institutes will help local workers prepare for employment at the yard's high-tech new complex.
"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," said Saronic co-founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas in a statement.
Saronic is known best for its small autonomous patrol boats and for its entry into the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) competition, a crewboat-sized naval USV that can carry several containerized payloads on an open aft deck. It is vertically integrated for engineering R&D and manufacturing - it also owns the former Gulf Craft yard in Franklin, Louisiana - and it has long signaled its ambitions to become a large-scale shipbuilder for the Navy. But Mavrookas told USNI and other outlets earlier this week that the company plans to build ships up to 850 feet long - big enough for a fully-manned destroyer, cruiser or amphib, not just a 180-foot unmanned vessel. If built out to full possible size of 4,000 acres, it would be one of the largest shipyards in the world. The yard announced this week is just "phase one," Mavrookas told USNI - and he confirmed that the company has ambitions to build manned warships with a technological edge.
HD Hyundai and Kiewit Offshore Announce Partnership for US Shipbuilding
[By Kiewit Offshore Services]
HD Hyundai and Kiewit Offshore Services, Ltd. (KOS) today announced they have entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement to pursue collaboration on shipbuilding projects serving the U.S. market and other areas of mutual strategic interest. Building on a relationship between the companies that spans decades, the agreement brings together one of the world’s leading shipbuilders and diversified technology providers with one of North America’s premier engineering, construction and fabrication organizations. The partnership is intended to support the expansion of U.S. shipbuilding capacity, strengthen the nation’s maritime industrial base, increase domestic manufacturing capability, and provide a framework for the companies to explore additional opportunities that leverage their complementary capabilities.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony held July 16 at the KOS headquarters in Ingleside, Texas. Hannae Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of the Corporate Planning Office at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and Chad Johnson, President of Kiewit Offshore Services, Ltd., participated in the signing.
This collaboration is designed to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding capabilities and reinvigorate the nation's maritime industrial base. By combining complementary expertise from two long-established industry leaders, the partnership supports efforts to expand domestic fabrication capacity, strengthen supply chain resilience and advance strategic collaboration among trusted allies.
Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on opportunities supporting shipbuilding programs in the U.S., including the fabrication of ship blocks and modules. The partnership combines HD Hyundai's globally recognized expertise in ship design, advanced manufacturing, procurement and shipbuilding technology with Kiewit's extensive capabilities in large-scale fabrication, construction and complex project execution. Together, the companies will explore opportunities to leverage advanced manufacturing methods and proven production practices to help expand domestic shipbuilding capacity.
"The United States is a strong ally and a key business partner for us," said Choi. "Through our cooperation with KOS, we intend to actively support the expansion of U.S. shipbuilding and maritime infrastructure, while also exploring additional areas of collaboration, including opportunities involving floating assets."
"Kiewit has a long history of delivering some of North America's most complex industrial and marine projects," said Johnson. "By combining our extensive fabrication and EPC project execution expertise with HD Hyundai's shipbuilding experience, we're creating new opportunities to support the growth of U.S. shipbuilding while helping strengthen the nation's maritime industrial base for the future."
HD Hyundai brings more than five decades of experience delivering some of the world's most advanced commercial, offshore and naval vessels from its shipyards in South Korea and abroad. As the world's largest shipbuilder and a global leader in marine engines, HD Hyundai combines large-scale, digitally integrated manufacturing capabilities with deep engineering, procurement and construction expertise across the full maritime value chain. Through this partnership with KOS, HD Hyundai is committed to supporting U.S. shipbuilding programs and helping expand America's shipbuilding capacity under the Korea–U.S. industrial cooperation framework.
KOS brings decades of experience delivering complex fabrication and marine construction projects from its Gulf Coast facilities. As part of Kiewit Corporation, KOS combines large-scale fabrication capabilities with deep engineering, procurement and construction expertise, positioning the company to support commercial and government shipbuilding programs and help expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
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