Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) and Pacifico Mexinol Initiate Study to Assess the Economic Impact of the Project in Northern Sinaloa

• The studies aim, among other things, to estimate the direct and indirect economic effects of the investment in terms of employment, income, added value, and social well-being; identify regional development opportunities; and propose strategies to ensure the project's sustainability and its harmonious integration with the local socioeconomic environment.

• The Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), through the Research and Graduate Studies Directorate, the Technology Transfer Office, and the School of Economic and Social Sciences, led by Dr. Luis Armando Becerra Pérez, an economist with extensive experience in renewable energy and sustainable development, will be in charge of this phase of the project.

LOS MOCHIS, Sinaloa, Mexico -- As part of an ongoing joint effort between the academic and commercial sectors, stemming from a Collaboration Agreement between the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) and Pacifico Mexinol (a subsidiary of Transition Industries) signed in 2024, this new phase of the project will continue to transparently document and study the economic effects of the world's largest ultra-low-carbon methanol plant, located near Topolobampo, Ahome, Sinaloa.

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The Pacifico Mexinol project is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals by promoting the use of clean energy, the utilization of treated wastewater, and climate change mitigation. It also protects local ecosystems and is expected to generate thousands of jobs, driving the region's economic development.

“Transparency of information is one of our core values. This project not only furthers our commitment to partnering with higher education institutions in the state to support research, training, and development programs, but will also provide much-needed data on the true economic development benefits for Sinaloa provided by Pacífico Mexinol.” Karin Nunan, Head of Corporate Affairs, Transition Industries.

This study seeks to quantify the economic impacts of the Pacifico Mexinol project, as well as generate transparent and useful information for decision-making that benefits nearby communities. By identifying local development opportunities, social needs, and potential risks, the analysis will contribute to the design of strategies that promote the harmonious integration of the project with its surroundings under Pacifico Mexinol’s Good Neighbor Program and the Project’s IFC-aligned Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for economic inclusion, community participation, and respect for the rights of local populations. Overall, the study represents a key tool for ensuring that industrial development translates into shared well-being and equitable growth.

“Based on the Institutional Development Plan With a Vision for the Future 2029, the National Development Plan, and President Sheinbaum’s Mexico Plan, the Autonomous University of Sinaloa is firmly committed to strategic engagement for local, national, regional, and global development, helping to integrate and strengthen, together with the commercial sector, a more just, equitable, sustainable, productive, and humanistic Mexico, and thus generate synergies with society to maximize this development hub presented by our President and Pacífico Mexinol.” Dr. Jesús Madueña Molina, Rector.

The analysis will be developed through a combination of three complementary approaches: 1) Structural econometrics, to model causal relationships between key economic variables, 2) Machine learning, to detect complex patterns in large volumes of data and simulate future scenarios, and 3) Input-output matrices, to estimate the multiplier effects of the project on the regional economy.

Given that economic simulators only exist at the national level in Mexico, collaboration will be sought with the National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Informatics (INEGI) to adapt models and parameters to the local context, thus increasing the accuracy of the estimates.

Dr. Luis Armando Becerra Pérez holds a PhD in Economics from the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), with a postdoctoral degree in Renewable Energy and Sustainability. He holds a Master's degree in Economics from UNAM and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from UAS. He is currently a full-time professor and researcher at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at UAS, and a member of the National System of Researchers (SNI) Level II. His research focuses on bioenergy, environmental economics, and sustainable development, with notable publications in national and international journals. He has held academic residencies at international universities such as Yale and Harvard, as well as at institutions in Canada, Colombia, and Brazil, and has been recognized with the Sinaloa State Journalism Award.

About the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS)

The Autonomous University of Sinaloa (the third largest of the State Public Universities nationwide) comprises an academic, scientific, technological, athletic, and cultural space where diverse expressions of universal thought coexist harmoniously. The cultivation of science, technology, and the humanities translates into increasingly vigorous academic activities. Through the General Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies and the Technology Transfer Office attached to this directorate, the UAS seeks to protect inventions generated at the UAS and promote the transfer of knowledge that contributes to the economic development of the region, the country, and the world. For more information, please email [email protected].

About Transition Industries

Transition Industries LLC, based in Houston, Texas, develops global-scale, net-zero carbon methanol and green hydrogen projects in North America to address climate change and promote environmental and social sustainability. For more information about Pacífico Mexinol or Transition Industries, please email [email protected].