Dubai’s flagship solar scheme has helped to drive down the cost of electricity generation through photovoltaic (PV) solar technology, twice holding the world-record lowest power purchase agreement tariff, for phases 2 and 3.

Phase 4 is a 200MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant and Dubai Electricity & Water Authority expects to drive down the cost of that technology too. The firm’s CEO, Saeed Mohammed al-Tayer, has said he wants to achieve a tariff of about 8 cents a kilowatt hour ($c a kWh). If achieved it will be by far the lowest priced electricity generated by CSP in the world.

The 13MW first phase was commissioned in 2013. The 200MW second phase – the largest operational solar PV plant in the Middle East – was developed by Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power with Spain’s TSK and the US’ First Solar. It was commissioned in March this year, with a tariff of 5.61 $c a kWh.

The 800MW phase 3 is split into three packages, which will be brought online in stages from April 2018. This phase is being developed by a Masdar-led consortium, with a tariff of 2.99 $c a kWh. The 200MW phase 4 is due to be commissioned in 2021.