SHENYANG, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday started construction of the No. 1 power unit of its Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant in the country's northeastern province of Liaoning.

The full-scale construction of the nuclear island of the power unit in the city of Huludao will help establish a new energy system and promote green and low-carbon energy transformation in the province.

The nuclear power unit has an installed capacity of 1.29 GW and will use the third-generation domestically developed pressurized water reactor.

With a total investment of 140 billion yuan (about 19.5 billion U.S. dollars), the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant is designed to have six pressurized water reactors with a combined installed capacity of 7.6 GW. Upon full completion, the plant can generate 54 billion kWh of electricity annually.

The nuclear power plant is invested by China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). Construction of the first two power units at the nuclear power plant started in 2021.

CNNC now has 10 nuclear power units under construction, with a total installed capacity of 11.42 GW.