Three More Spanish Solar Power Generating Plants Enabled by Chemistry from The Dow Chemical Company

Seville, Spain - November 12, 2009

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During the course of 2009, The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) supplied nearly five thousand metric tons of DOWTHERM™ A Heat Transfer fluid to enable three additional solar power plants in Spain, bringing the total to six, to collect heat and convert it to electrical energy. Chemistry from Dow is now helping to generate a total of 300 megawatts of renewable and sustainable electricity in Spain. Representatives from Dow made this announcement during the 3rd Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Summit, in November 11-12th, in Seville, Spain.

Taking advantage of a sunny climate and strong government commitment, Spain is pioneering Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). Dow is strongly committed to continue to support the industry by providing high quality material, logistic excellence and top of the class technical support for heat transfer fluid. In 2010, Dow will again deliver several thousand tons of DOWTHERM™ A for CSP projects. DOWTHERM™ A is a specialized heat transfer fluid capable of accommodating temperatures up to 400 degrees Celsius.

An additional 150 megawatts of electricity generated by these new CSP plants using DOWTHERM™ A as the heat transfer is enough for an additional 80,000 homes and will save about 280,000 thousand tons of carbon dioxide per year that would have been released to the atmosphere had traditional fossil fuels been burned for energy. “The Dow Chemical Company is very proud to be the partner of the leading panish companies that are developing, building and operating these thermal solar plants that have a clear positive impact on today’s energy challenges”, said Renaud Jourdan, global marketing manager for Dow Heat Transfer Fluids.

DOWTHERM™ A heat transfer fluid collects heat energy and transports it to a power generating station. The transported heat converts water to steam which in turn drives turbines to make electricity. DOWTHERM™ A heat transfer fluid is a mixture of Diphenyl oxide and Biphenyl that makes it one of the highest thermal stable organic heat transfer fluids.

Not only does Dow have the right chemistry for this application, but also has the experience and resources to fill huge orders like these. In close cooperation with its partners and thanks to an advanced logistic set up, Dow has already demonstrated in six projects its ability to deliver up to 2,500 metric tones of high temperature fluid for a single project over a very short period of time. In addition the fluid is delivered at a temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius, to allow the plant project team to rapidly fill their system without any freezing problems.

How Concentrated Solar Power Works

CSP uses parabolic mirrors to reflect and magnify heat from the sun onto a pipe that contains DOWTHERM™ A heat transfer fluids to collect the heat energy and transport it to a power generating station. The heat transferred from the collectors to the station where the heat turns water to steam. The steam is used to drive turbines that make electricity.

Solar power and technology like CSP serves to help diversify the energy supply, produce power at peak demand, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, improve air quality and offset greenhouse gas emissions.

About Dow

Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in approximately 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. In 2008, Dow had annual sales of $57.4 billion and employed approximately 46,000 people worldwide. The Company has 150 manufacturing sites in 35 countries and produces approximately 3,300 products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global specialty materials company with sales of $10 billion in 2008, 98 manufacturing sites in 30 countries and approximately 15,000 employees worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

For Editorial Information:

Harold Nicoll, APR
The Dow Chemical Company
(989) 636-5162