South China nuclear plant operates second unit

China has taken another major step forwards in nuclear power generation, with the second generation unit of a nuclear plant in the southern Guangdong Province connected to the grid on Tuesday afternoon.

The unit of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant will start generating electricity after a trial run lasting 168 hours, according to a statement issued by China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN).

Construction of the second unit began in June 2009. The first unit, under construction since December 2008, went into commercial operation last March. It generated 6.8 billion kwh of electricity last year.

The Yangjiang nuclear plant has six units, which will generate 48 billion kwh of electricity a year after they all go into commercial operation around January 2019, according to CGN.

Meanwhile, in east China's Fujian Province, the third unit of the Ningde nuclear plant started trial operation on Sunday.

Its construction was started in January 2010, and it is expected to generate 8 billion kwh per year, according to the Fujian development and reform commission.

The Ningde plant should generate 30 billion kwh of electricity a year when all four generating units are in commercial operation.

The first went into operation in April 2013, the second in January 2014.

As of last June, China had 19 operating nuclear power units and 29 units under construction, ranking it as one of the biggest nuclear power nations in terms of the number of such facilities, according to the National Nuclear Safety Administration.