RIYADH – As the Kingdom's energy demand rises amid massive economic expansion and growing population, the government is determined to exploit renewable sources of energy. Against this backdrop, the two-day 2nd Annual Solar Arabia Summit 2012 will kick off today (Sept.16) in Riyadh, that would highlight innovative range of solutions to harness energy from the sun. “We are committed to working closely with Saudi Arabia and the rest of the region to enable them to reach their long-term national visions for solar energy,” said Zuhair Allawi, President of Dow Saudi Arabia. “As the region's energy needs grow, countries are looking to adopt more sustainable solutions to address these needs, and are investing significantly into solar technologies. For instance, the Saudi government has already invested several billion dollars into nurturing a solar industry, and is aiming to make it a significant contributor to meeting the country's Energy demand as well as a driver of economic growth. This is a great example of how solar power makes sustainable sense all around since it is not only good for the environment, but it is also good for the economy,” he noted. Dow Chemical Company will exhibit its innovative range of solutions at the summit. In line with its commitment to sustainability, Dow is bringing in next-generation solutions to the Middle East market to help harness the power of the sun and turn it into cost-effective energy to help address the region's growing needs. Dow is the largest specialty chemical company in the world, and its range of technologies reflects the company's total solutions approach to the industry's needs. Dow is the global leader for the supply of high temperature heat transfer fluids (HTTF) to concentrated solar power (CSP) projects. One of Dow's products, Dowtherm A, heat transfer fluid, is used in more than 24 large scale CSP installations globally with a total power generation capacity of more than 1 GW. Dowtherm A is a specialized heat transfer fluid with a 75-year track record in high temperature service and an ability to withstand temperatures up to 400° C. Its proven track record, stability, and low viscosity throughout its entire operating range have made Dowtherm A the leading fluid for CSP projects globally. Dow also brings its best practices, expertise and proven solutions from its established and long running installments in the leading solar markets in the world. The company also offers a diverse range of engineering support services and training programs to help operators monitor and maintain fluids, ensuring maximum system efficiency with minimum downtime. Dow also provides production and logistic solutions to meet the high volume fluid requirements of CSP plants. Included are complex fluid staging and delivery systems to meet narrow installation timeframes at plants in often remote locations. CSP uses parabolic mirrors to reflect and magnify heat from the sun onto a closed circulating loop containing Dowtherm A heat transfer fluid. The fluid collects the heat energy and transports it to a power station where it is used to produce steam, which drives turbines to generate electricity. Solar power technology like CSP offers many advantages in regions that require reliable new sources of energy. The technology helps diversify energy supply, is capable of producing power during periods of peak demand, and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. When used instead of fossil fuel generation plants, CSP facilities offer improved air quality and can help many nations to address off-set goals for carbon emission produced by existing fossil fuel power plants. Unlike photovoltaic solar power and wind energy technologies, CSP plants can operate in conjunction with cost-effective thermal storage technology to deliver energy on-demand, making CSP a highly flexible source of renewable energy. Dow's presence in the kingdom dates back 35 years. In October 2011, Dow and Saudi Aramco signed a joint venture agreement to form Sadara Chemical Company, a joint venture to build and operate a world-scale, fully integrated chemicals complex in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. Dow also recently announced plans to invest in a best-in-class manufacturing facility for Dow Filmtec Reverse Osmosis (RO) elements in the Kingdom. In 2009, Dow entered into a comprehensive R&D collaboration agreement with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the region's leading graduate-level research university. – SG
