Symyx Technologies, Inc. has received a grant from the DOE to conduct research and development of advanced heat transfer fluids for solar thermal power generation.

The objective of this research is to develop new materials for lowering the cost of electricity.
 
The company, which transforms scientific R&D to bring efficiency in productivity, did not disclose the amount of the grant.  

Symyx will screen deep eutectic salt formations, critical to the discovery of materials with low melting points. In addition to this, Symyx will conduct field testing of new material candidates. Through this initiative, the DOE is working on its plans to develop an advanced heat transfer fluid that can operate within a temperature range from 80 degrees Celsius up to 500 degrees Celsius.

The Department had last year, too, announced 15 projects as part of its goal to reduce the cost of CSP electricity from 13-16 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) with no storage to 8-11 cents/kWh with six hours of storage by 2015, and to less than seven cents/kWh with 12-17 hours of storage by 2020.

Related links: DOE, advanced heat transfer fluids