(Yicai Global) Feb. 1 -- China’s domestically developed Hualong One third-generation pressurized water nuclear reactor has started producing power for the first time at a nuclear power plant in southeastern Fujian province.

Unit Five of the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant has been in full operation for 168 hours and is now certified to start commercial service, parent firm China National Nuclear Corp. said on Jan. 30.

Developed by CNNC and China General Nuclear Power Group, the activation of Hualong One demonstrates that China has mastered third-generation nuclear power technology. Construction on Unit Five began in May 2015, and the station went into service last November.

Each Hualong One reactor can generate 10 billion kilowatts of electricity a year, enough to meet the power needs of one million people. It can reduce coal consumption by 3.12 million tons annually and carbon dioxide emissions by 8.16 million tons.

State-owned CNNC and CGN have 11 more Hualong One reactors in construction, including two that Beijing-based CNNC has exported to the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan. CNNC has 23 nuclear power stations in operation with a capacity of 21.4 million kW and CNG has 24 with an output of 27.1 million kW.

The US, France and Russia are frontrunners in third generation nuclear power technology and have developed the AP1000, EPR and VVER reactors, respectively.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor