Infinity Water Solutions unveils financing model for water sustainability projects
MRT • By Mella McEwen , Oil Editor
Companies are working hard to build projects to store, treat and recycle produced water. But finding the funds for those projects can be a significant challenge.
Infinity Water Solutions believes it has an answer, publishing its “Blue Circular Economy Financing Framework,” a blue financing model dedicated to environmental impact, sustainability and the preservation of water.
“This becomes a framework for any project of this type globally,” Michael Dyson, Infinity chief executive officer, told the Reporter-Telegram.
Dyson acknowledged there was a bit of self-interest for Infinity but said the framework is the first blue bond that will include the energy sector. All others had excluded the sector, he said.
The idea of sustainability and business success are not mutually exclusive, Dyson said. The energy sector can be and must be a critical part of the solutions.
He called the framework meticulously put together with a range of stakeholders, including in New Mexico, where Infinity has operations. The framework was structured with guidance from Wells Fargo. Dyson said a bank like Wells Fargo has the financial tools available to have a meaningful impact was needed. Moody’s evaluated it for a public Second Party Opinion.
“All we can do is submit the project and answer questions. The project is or it isn’t aligned with sustainability goals. Moody’s agreed we were aligned,” Dyson said.
He recounted participating in a panel discussion and being asked how to get water projects funded.
“I said you have to make it sexy, you have to make it relevant, you have to speak their language,” he recalled.
That included describing the return on investments, how it can add value for operators from both a capital expenditure aspect and achieving their sustainability goals. For states, it’s how the projects can diversify economies, create jobs, attract new businesses, preserve fresh water and reduce the risk of seismicity.
What Dyson also finds exciting is that “this water industry, this nascent, growing industry, with the conversations people are having, they’re aligning, and that’s wonderful. That moves us forward.”
Circular economies are essential in addressing global resource scarcity, with water among the most critical resources at risk. Infinity transforms waste streams into valuable resources, creating fit-for-purpose water products that are recycled, reused and kept in continuous circulation. This closed-loop approach is not only unique to Infinity, but also groundbreaking within the industry, delivering enduring environmental, economic and social benefits that help ensure water remains accessible for communities, ecosystems and industries alike.
“I look forward to seeing how people tweak the framework for their own purposes,” Dyson said.
Read the article here.