The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced the ‘world’s first’ demonstration project to adopt third-generation pressurised water nuclear reactor, the so-called Hualong One, began commercial operations on Saturday.

The reactor was first connected to the grid on 27th November.

The company said the installed capacity of each Hualong One unit, which is designed to have a 60-year lifespan, reaches nearly 1,200MWe.

Each unit is forecast to generate nearly ten billion kWh of electricity annually, meeting the demand of one million homes.

CNNC estimated the generated electricity from a Hualong One unit to be equivalent to reducing the consumption of 3.12 million tonnes of coal and emission of 8.16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

That also translates to the plantation of more than 70 million trees annually.

Yu Jianfeng, Chairman of CNNC, said that the corporation aims to accelerate the mass construction of Hualong One reactors.