The Water-Energy Nexus: Opportunities for the Solar Industry and Water Infrastructure

A Chemical Engineer (UANL) with a Master's degree in Manufacturing Systems (ITESM Monterrey), he has over 20 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment, product development, and process optimization. He is currently the Design Director at Mitsui & Co. Infrastructure Solutions (Atlatec), where he defines conceptual solutions for municipal and industrial plants and coordinatesmultidisciplinary engineering teams. He contributed to the engineering of the biological treatment system for the Atotonilco Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), as well as the expansion of the El Ahogado WWTP and projects in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He is the co-inventor of a patented flexible packing structure.    

Engineer in renewable energy by the Technological University of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (UTZMG) with more than 9 years of experience in the solar thermal sector and energy efficiency. Passionate and lover of solar thermal energy applied in all sectors, as well as the linking and professionalization of the sector. In 2019 he was appointed Mexico Ambassador of the international Heat Changers movement and is co-host of the HeatChangers Podcast in Spanish, where he promotes knowledge and energy transition through the application of solar thermal technology. He is currently President of the XXVII Board of Directors of the Colegio de Ingenieros Mecánicos y Electricistas del Estado de Jalisco and Founder of Corporativo Distrito Energía, his venture.

Andrés Bodensiek Arenas is an Agricultural and Food Economist holding an M.Sc. in Agri-food and Environmental Policy, with over a decade of experience spanning academic research, circular economy project design, and sustainable food systems. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Bioperdurable SAS -a certified bio-input company that valorizes organic waste from the fish industry -he has spent over four years managing operations in rural and off-the-grid agricultural areas in Colombia. Through this hands-on entrepreneurial experience, he has witnessed firsthand the massive potential of solar energy in remote regions, specifically for driving water-pumping infrastructure and powering the oxygenation systems required to intensify aquaculture and agricultural production sustainably. Combined with his background in international market intelligence and agricultural policy, Andrés offers a highly practical, cross-sector perspective on how solar and energy storage solutions can realistically drive Mexico's and Latin America's water-energy transition.