JE Dunn-Alberici JV Starts Saronic's $3.2B Port Alpha Shipyard in Texas

A joint venture of JE Dunn Construction and Alberici Constructors has begun construction on the initial phases of Port Alpha, Saronic Technologies' shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, valued at more than $3.2 billion. The project is being delivered through progressive design-build, and the joint venture describes it as the first greenfield shipyard built in the United States since World War II, according to Construction Dive.

What Happened

Saronic held a ceremonial groundbreaking on September 30, attended by Vice President JD Vance and Texas Governor Greg Abbott along with federal, state and local officials Saronic via PR Newswire. The JE Dunn and Alberici joint venture announced its role in the initial phases on October 6 Alberici, and Construction Dive reported further details from the team on October 12 Construction Dive.

The shipyard will build autonomous, autonomy-capable and manned vessels. Saronic says the first phase will focus on those ship types, including Landing Craft Utility vessels for the U.S. Navy, under a contract the company recently won Saronic via PR Newswire.

The Project by the Numbers

• Site: an initial 835 acres, with an option to expand to nearly 4,400 acres Saronic via PR Newswire.
• Investment: more than $3 billion in private capital, according to Saronic; the joint venture values the shipyard at more than $3.2 billion Alberici.
• Initial production space: 1.2 million square feet of enclosed production space within a 2.5 million square foot production area, in 8 to 10 production buildings Saronic via PR Newswire.
• Waterfront: more than 2,500 feet of deepwater quay and 2 to 4 build positions for final ship erection.
• Capacity: 150,000 gross tons per year initially, scalable to more than 2 million gross tons, with 75,000 tonnes of annual steel processing capacity. Initial vessels could reach 850 feet, with future expansion supporting ships over 1,200 feet Saronic via PR Newswire.
• Jobs: up to 10,000 direct jobs at full buildout, according to Saronic and the joint venture Alberici.

How the Work Is Structured

The contract is organized in three overlapping stages Construction Dive:

• Site preparation and infrastructure: grading, ground improvement, drainage, access roads and utilities.
• Phase 1: initial assembly buildings, material handling systems and support facilities.
• Completion: all manufacturing and warehousing, permanent waterfront and vessel launch infrastructure, and employee support facilities.

Stantec and KPFF are the design partners Alberici. Under progressive design-build, design, procurement and construction overlap across all three stages. Scott Shelby, a JE Dunn vice president and the joint venture's program leader, told Construction Dive that the approach allows the team to develop and evaluate design, scope and cost before agreeing to a final price, and that early structural and waterfront packages can advance while later equipment installation and infrastructure are coordinated Construction Dive.

The same team has worked for Saronic before. Alberici announced in 2025 that the joint venture had won a $300 million expansion of Saronic's shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, and the contractors topped out that facility in August Construction Dive.

Workforce

Saronic says the jobs will include skilled trades such as welding and machining as well as robotics, software engineering and naval architecture roles. The company is working with the State of Texas, Cameron County and regional schools on training and apprenticeship pathways, and it cites a national shortfall of roughly 250,000 skilled shipbuilding workers over the next decade Saronic via PR Newswire. Saronic's release does not give a completion or first-ship date.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Progressive design-build at industrial scale: Port Alpha is another large private industrial program choosing progressive design-build to release early site and waterfront packages before the full design and price are set. Owners weighing the method should note the trade-off: speed and early contractor input in exchange for a guaranteed price that comes later.
• Heavy civil and marine work first: Grading, ground improvement, drainage, utilities and quay construction lead the schedule. Marine, foundation and site utility subcontractors are positioned for the earliest packages.
• Large pre-engineered and steel buildings: 8 to 10 production buildings with enclosed space of 1.2 million square feet point to significant structural steel, cladding, crane runway and industrial MEP scopes.
• Labor competition: A project of this size on the Texas Gulf Coast will draw on the same craft labor pool as other industrial work in the region, and the shipyard itself will be hiring welders and machinists once it operates.

What to Watch

• Release of the first Phase 1 building and waterfront packages to subcontractors.
• A guaranteed maximum price or similar pricing milestone under the progressive design-build contract.
• Any announced schedule for first production and the timing of expansion beyond the initial 835 acres.

Bottom Line

Saronic's Port Alpha is a $3 billion-plus private shipyard program moving into construction under progressive design-build with an experienced joint venture. For contractors, the early work is civil and marine, followed by large industrial buildings and waterfront infrastructure over multiple overlapping stages.

Image credit: Alberici. Image from the source article.

Sources

• Construction Dive, "JE Dunn-Alberici JV breaks ground on $3.2B Texas shipyard": https://www.constructiondive.com/news/je-dunn-alberici-jv-breaks-ground-texas-shipyard/832709/
• Alberici, "JE Dunn, Alberici Break Ground on Historic $3.2 Billion Port Alpha Shipyard Project for Saronic Technologies": https://alberici.com/je-dunn-alberici-break-ground-on-historic-3-2-billion-port-alpha-shipyard-project-for-saronic-technologies/
• Saronic via PR Newswire, "Saronic Breaks Ground on Port Alpha, a New Model for American Shipbuilding": https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/saronic-breaks-ground-on-port-alpha-a-new-model-for-american-shipbuilding-302894975.html