Why did we set out to build Saronic and now Port Alpha? Today, China is outbuilding the United States in shipbuilding capacity 230 to one. America is only producing 100,000 gross tons of shipbuilding capacity every year. As their shipbuilding capacity has declined, China's has accelerated.
A nation that cannot build ships, cannot project power, cannot protect its supply chains. We are at that moment right now. Port Alpha is our answer. We are investing more than $3 billion to build out over 800 acres at the Port of Brownsville, with the opportunity to expand to over 4,000 acres in the future.
The initial phase of Port Alpha will more than double America's shipbuilding capacity today, and will make it the largest shipyard in the country.
Port Alpha will be designed from the ground up for advanced manufacturing, software-defined production, and autonomous systems. We break ground this year. We go online in 2028.
For Cameron County, this project is expected to generate more than 160 billion dollars in regional economic impact, one of the largest economic development projects in modern Texas history. We searched the entire country for a year. We found exceptional sites from coast to coast, but Brownsville and Texas won on every dimension: deep water access, land availability, workforce, and state government committed to moving at Saronic speed.
We're proud to call Texas home, sir. We'll partner with Cameron County's universities and technical colleges, some of the best in the country, to build the workforce pipeline this industry needs, and further build out South Texas as a center of excellence for maritime manufacturing.
With Port Alpha, we're committed to creating 10,000 high-quality direct jobs over the next decade, from skilled tradespeople to robotics engineers and naval architects.
And to the Saronic team, none of this happens without you. Corsair is the fastest production contract in U.S. Navy history. Mirage is on the water. Marauder is the fastest ship built in this country in decades. And as the world has seen in the last few weeks, our Corsairs are operational, combat-proven, and saving our service members' lives. You took on one of the hardest problems in America, and you're winning. Thank you for your dedication to this team and the mission.
Shipbuilding is an all-country effort. We're grateful for the support of the administration, Congress, and every partner who understands that economic security and national security are inseparable.
America's maritime future depends on our ability to build again. Port Alpha is our commitment to that mission.
Editor's Note: The above remarks were delivered by Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and chief executive officer at Saronic Technologies, at a press conference held at the company's Austin headquarters. The press conference was held to announce the location for Saronic's Port Alpha project: the Port of Brownsville. Mavrookas shared the stage with Greg Abbott.
