FUZHOU — A fourth unit of the Fuqing branch of China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) began commercial operations on Sept 17 in East China’s Fujian province.

The China-designed No. 4 unit brings the total installed capacity of the project to 4.35 million kW. The first unit was put into use in 2014.

The nuclear power units in Fuqing have generated 42 billion kwh of electricity, equivalent to a cut in coal consumption of nearly 17 million tonnes and a drop in emissions of 55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The government has approved the CNNC Fuqing branch to build six nuclear power units. The No. 5 and 6 units will be a pilot project featuring Hualong One technology, a domestically developed third-generation reactor design.

In May, the hemispherical dome, weighing 340 tonnes and measuring 46.8 meters in diameter, was installed by crane on the No. 5 unit, marking the completion of construction work on the pilot project and the beginning of the assembly stage.

Currently, CNNC has 17 operating nuclear power units. China has 36 operational nuclear reactors and is building 20 more.

By 2020, China aims to have 58 million kW of nuclear power capacity in operation.

On Sept 1, China’s legislature passed a Nuclear Safety Law, which reflects the country’s rational, coordinated and balanced nuclear safety outlook, as well as its commitment to fulfilling obligations under international treaties.