Navitas Global, a company specializing in biofuels, will expand its operations in Portales, New Mexico, with the support of economic incentives from the state government. The plant, which converts whey derivatives into ethanol and animal feed, has been selected to receive $800,000 from the state’s Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) fund, administered by the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD).
The financial support is linked to the creation of 31 new jobs with an estimated annual payroll of $1.9 million, in addition to a projected capital investment of up to $42 million. The facilities are located in the Portales industrial park, in a plant built in 1984 and unused since 2012, when Abengoa Bioenergy suspended operations.
Navitas focuses on the production of ethanol from dairy processing by-products, such as whey, a sugar-rich waste product. Its business model is aligned with circular economy principles, transforming industrial waste into biofuels and high-protein feed, minimizing waste and environmental impact.
The project also seeks to take advantage of existing infrastructure and proximity to some of the country’s leading cheese factories. According to the company, its technological process uses little water and generates significant volumes of clean water during production.
In addition to LEDA’s support, Navitas Global benefited in June from resources from the Vocational Training Incentive Program (JTIP), also from the EDD, to train up to 34 new workers. This program allows companies to be reimbursed for part of the salaries during the training period. In this case, the positions offered qualify for high reimbursement rates because they are located in a border area and meet high salary criteria.
The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. The city of Portales, which acts as the fiscal agent for the financing, sees this initiative as an opportunity to reactivate an inactive industrial site and generate new jobs.
