FUZHOU - Ningde Nuclear Power Plant in East China's Fujian province has began building its fourth generator, the plant said Sunday.

It is the last of the four generators in the first phase of construction.

The nuclear power plant will begin operating in 2012, making it the first of its kind in the province.

The plant is expected to generate 30 billion kWhs of electricity every year, guaranteeing a quarter of the province's annual power consumption, when all the four generators are in full swing in 2015.

The plant will also save 12 million tons of coal every year, or the equivalent of about 30 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, it said.

Ningde nuclear power plant, co-funded and jointly run by Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, Datang International Power Generation Co Ltd, and Fujian Energy Group Co Ltd, started the construction of its first generator in 2008.

Another nuclear power plant in the province, Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant, is also expected to commence construction of its fifth and sixth generators before the end of this year. It is expected to start operating in 2013.

Source: Xinhua Editor: Xie Fang