China's first nuclear power unit using Hualong One, the country's indigenous third-generation nuclear power technology, was put into commercial operation, said the China National Nuclear Corporation Saturday.

The success marks a milestone for the development of China's nuclear technology, making China the fourth country to master domestically developed third-generation nuclear technology following the United States, France and Russia.

The Hualong One boasts completely independent intellectual property rights. It was developed and designed by the corporation on the basis of more than 30 years of nuclear power research, design, manufacturing, construction and operation experiences.

Yu Jianfeng, chairman of the CNNC, said the corporation will accelerate mass production of the reactor and promote its export.

With a design life of 60 years, the Hualong One reactor has 177 reactor cores that need refueling every 18 months. It meets the strictest safety standards in the world, according to the CNNC.

Each unit using Hualong One technology is able to generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity annually, meeting the demand of 1 million people in a moderately developed country.

It is expected to reduce standard coal consumption by 3.12 million tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 8.16 million tons annually, equivalent to planting more than 70 million trees.