(Yicai) Sept. 18 -- China National Nuclear Corporation and China Huaneng Group, two major state-owned atomic energy developers, have put the first Hualong One nuclear power unit in China’s southernmost Hainan province into operation.

Unit 3 of the Changjiang nuclear power plant, the first of the project’s second phase, has officially entered the commissioning phase, providing reliable clean energy support for the island as it develops into a free trade port, Hainan announced on its official WeChat account yesterday.

The second phase of the Changjiang nuclear power plant is Hainan's largest power engineering construction project, comprising two Hualong One atomic units with an installed capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts each. Once fully operational, its total annual power output will reach 18 billion kW-hours, equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by 6.3 million tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 11.6 million tons.

The first two units of the Changjiang nuclear power plant were put into commercial operation in December 2015 and August 2016, respectively. Atomic power accounted for nearly 19 percent of Hainan’s total electricity generation last year, according to data from the National Energy Administration.

Last December, Hainan became the Chinese mainland's first FTP and the world's largest FTP by area. According to a national strategic plan, Hainan will leverage its FTP policies to develop tourism, modern service industries, and high-tech industries, aiming to establish itself as an international tourism and consumption center and a model zone for ecological civilization.

While building itself into a high-level FTP, Hainan will also accelerate its green energy transition. The proportion of non-fossil energy to the province’s total energy consumption is expected to increase to 35 percent by 2030 from 21 percent in 2024, achieving the carbon peak target as planned, according to a plan released by the provincial government in June.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione