Yara research has identified a new grade of potassium calcium nitrate that can reduce costs and improve performance in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. Following positive laboratory testing, this new project is ready to change heat storage in the global solar market. If you want more information on Yara's solar power molten salt, please visit: www.yara.com/media/news_archive/concentrated_solar_thermal_power.aspx www.yara.com/products_services/industrial_solutions/chemicals/specialty_chemicals/solar_energy.aspx

1. A New Generation of Molten Salt
14th November 2012
Sevilla, Spain
Emilio Iglesias Sola
Yara International ASA
Infanta Mercedes,31
28020 Madrid
Tfno: 91 426 35 00
Fax: 91 745 14 62
Mobile: 00 34 617 46 21 32
http://www.yara.es
http://www.yara.com

2. Yara – the Global Leader in Nitrates
 Founded in 1905, over a century of nitrogen chemistry
expertise
 Production Scale:
– Global No.1 in Nitrates production (Different
grades)
– Global No.1 in NPK fertilizers production
– Global No.1 in Calcium Nitrate production
 Logistics Reach:
– 200 warehouses and terminals worldwide,
– sales in 150 countries
 Research: Continuous nitrogen chemistry R&D
 Headquartered in Oslo, Norway

3. Solar Thermal market demands improved molten salts for
heat storage and heat transfer
Benefits of using molten salts for heat transfer and storage
• Avoid Thermal oil (expensive, environmental challenges)
• No need for expensive heat exchangers
• Avoid temperature losses in the exchangers
• Wider Delta Tª:
• Less molten salts needs
• New turbines coupled
• Better energy yield/efficiency
Benefits of using molten salts for heat storage (alone)
• Cost reduction (cost of molten salt).
• Potassium and Sodium price increase trend
• Lower melting point:
• Avoid potential blockages
• Wider Δ Tª

4. Yara has the Nitrates expertise
 Yara produces several CN grades and formats
 Existing literature regarding Calcium Nitrate use in solar thermal power
 Yara researched and tested to identify a nitrate grade with the optimal
thermal performance:
Scope of research on thermal properties of several CN grades
(non-exhaustive list)
• Cp. Specific Heat Capacity • Thermal decomposition
• Eutectic mixture behavior
• Melting point • Corrosion tests
• Heat of fusion • Physical melting process
• Enthalpy of dehydration
• Viscosity and density
• Thermal conductivity

5. Next Generation eutectic molten salt solution from the
worldwide leader in nitrates
Solar Thermal
Market Need
for Improved
Heat Transfer
and Storage
Potassium
Research
& Calcium
Innovation Nitrate
(CN-K)
Comprehensive laboratory
Yara testing at
Universidad Complutense
Nitrate de Madrid
Leadership
KNO3 5Ca(NO3)2 10H2O

6. Advantages of Eutectic ternary molten salt using CN-K
NaNO3 KNO3 KNO3 5Ca(NO3)2 10H2O
15 % 38 % 56 %
38 % 5% 42 %
15 % 43 % 42 %
NaNO3 KNO3 Ca(NO3)2
Yara’s new KNO3 5Ca(NO3)2 10H2O is:
 Synthetic
 Chloride-free
 Very pure
 Competitively priced

7. Eutectic Molten Salt with CN-K melting process
State/Form Temperature (⁰ C)
Gas
569
Improvements over binary salts:
 Lower melting point
Liquid ΔTª: 438  Broader ΔTª
15%NaNO3
43%KNO3  Reduced risk of molten salt
42%Ca(NO3)2 solidification
131
Solid
15%NaNO3
43%KNO3
42%Ca(NO3)2
0

8. Corrosion tests show eutectic CN-K Molten Salt to be
significantly less corrosive than binary salts
Lateral cross-section, SEM
Sal binaria
Binary salt
Ternary salt
Sal ternaria
3,0
Oxide layer thickness Oxide layer thickness
Oxide layer thickness
2,5
2,0
m/S0 (mg/cm )
2000 hours
2
1,5 2500 hours
3000 hours
1,0
0,5
0,0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
Tiempo (h)
Time (h)

9. Euctectic CN-K Molten Salt:
Performance Benefits & Cost savings in Solar Thermal Electricity
Plant Construction & Operation
 Lower CAPEX: Yara CN-K scale advantage translates into lower-cost
molten salt mix, pushing down solar energy cost
 Lower melting point: 131 ºC
– Wider delta Tª opens new operational possibilities and means you need less of
the molten salt blend to generate power
– Reduced risk of molten salt solidification: a technical challenge causing
plant damage, stoppage and maintenance costs for current molten salt
technologies
 Lower start-up energy costs: Less energy needed to melt the ternary
mixture including CN-K
 Lower life-cycle cost: less corrosive eutectic CN-K molten salt mix
reduces maintenance costs