Saronic Awards $100 Million-Plus Contract for World’s Largest Shiplift at Texas Shipyard

Saronic has awarded a contract worth more than $100 million to Norway’s Syncrolift to design and supply what the companies say will be the world’s largest shiplift at its planned $3 billion Port Alpha shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.

The system will feature a 300-meter (984-foot) lifting platform with a capacity of 67,000 metric tons, more than twice the lifting capacity of the next-largest installation, according to Saronic’s announcement Thursday.

Syncrolift, a subsidiary of Oslo-listed Nekkar ASA, will manage the project from its headquarters near Oslo. The company previously disclosed the contract on November 4 without identifying the customer, calling it the largest order in its history. Final delivery is scheduled for 2028.

The massive shiplift will play a central role in Saronic’s plans to rethink how ships are built, allowing multiple vessels to be assembled and outfitted simultaneously on land rather than occupying traditional dry docks.

Instead of building ships in fixed docks, Port Alpha is being designed around a production system in which large hull sections are assembled and vessels move between workstations. The shiplift and accompanying transfer system will allow completed ships to be moved from their construction positions into the water.

The tandem lifting system will incorporate condition-monitoring technology and digital-twin controls to monitor operations throughout the lifting process.

“The scope and scale of this shiplift is foundational to how the yard will operate,” said Doug Lambert, Saronic’s co-founder and chief operating officer.

The approach is intended to reduce bottlenecks associated with traditional shipbuilding, where dock availability and limited waterfront space can constrain production. By moving more construction and outfitting work onto land, Saronic aims to increase the number of vessels that can be built simultaneously.

The contract marks another major step in the development of Port Alpha, which broke ground on September 30.

Located at the Port of Brownsville, the shipyard will initially occupy 835 acres, with the potential to expand to nearly 4,400 acres. Saronic plans to invest more than $3 billion in the project, which it says could eventually support up to 10,000 direct jobs.

The facility is being developed to build both autonomous and crewed vessels for commercial and defense customers, reflecting growing efforts to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity amid concerns over the country’s declining share of global ship production.

According to Saronic’s Port Alpha development plans, the initial phase will accommodate ships measuring up to approximately 850 feet, with future expansion potentially supporting vessels exceeding 1,200 feet.

The company is targeting initial operations in 2028, with plans to eventually produce as many as 20 ships annually by 2035. Its first vessels are expected to be Landing Craft Utility vessels under a U.S. Navy contract.

Saronic is also working with South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries as it develops its shipbuilding capabilities.

The Syncrolift agreement highlights the role international suppliers are expected to play in the project, even as Saronic positions Port Alpha as a major investment in rebuilding domestic maritime manufacturing capacity.

The contract was announced in connection with the Atlantic Future Forum, a gathering of defense, security and technology leaders focused on cooperation among allied nations.

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