Wacker, Royal Tech Sign Partnership Agreement for New Heat Transfer

Wacker Chemie AG has strengthened its cooperation with Royal Tech CSP Limited of China, a specialist for highly efficient solar thermal systems that are based on CSP (concentrated solar power) technologies. The two companies signed an agreement to this effect.

Under its terms, Wacker will supply its newly developed HELISOL silicone fluid to Royal Tech, its exclusive partner in China. Royal Tech uses the silicone fluid as a heat-transfer medium in its solar power plants. HELISOL can withstand the thermal stress of up to 425 °C for a long period of time and its viscosity remains low even at -40 °C.

In combination with Royal Tech’s parabolic trough collectors, the fluid enables efficiency levels that are not possible with conventional heat-transfer fluids. At present, Royal Tech is building a 50-megawatt solar power plant in the city of Yumen in western China.

As the key medium in CSP systems, Wacker’s HELISOL silicone fluid features very high heat resistance and durability. In pilot tests conducted jointly with Royal Tech for over a year at its CSP test facility in Inner Mongolia, this transparent and odourless heat-transfer fluid was heated to 425 °C. At the same time, its freezing point of -55 °C is far lower than that of conventional heat-transfer fluids.

This significantly reduces the energy needed to uphold operating temperatures in winter. As a result, HELISOL is ideally suited to the harsh climates in the areas where China is conducting its major CSP projects. In addition, the fluid produces no benzene and generates much less hydrogen than conventional heat-transfer fluids.

“With our newly developed silicone fluid for solar power plants, we are strengthening our portfolio in the renewable-energy field and, at the same time, are supporting initiatives to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Our partnership with Royal Tech will contribute to significantly enhancing the efficiency of solar power plants and, in turn, bolster the market position of our two companies in the highly promising market for high-performance CSP systems,” said Auguste Willems, member of Wacker’s executive board.

“Our well-established partnership with Wacker, one of the largest silicone manufacturers in the world, will further strengthen the technological advantage of CSP in China’s renewable energy market. China is making a concerted effort to replace fossil fuels, such as coal, with electricity from advanced solar thermal plants. Our partnership will contribute to China’s ambitious and resolute plans to promote renewable energies even faster and more effectively,” added Richard Yu, general manager of Royal Tech.

Wacker Chemie AG has strengthened its cooperation with Royal Tech CSP Limited of China, a specialist for highly efficient solar thermal systems that are based on CSP (concentrated solar power) technologies. The two companies signed an agreement to this effect.