Haiyang Nuclear Station, Yantai, Shandong province [Photo/WeChat Account: SPIC-COM-CN]

The first phase of a nuclear power plant in Haiyang, Yantai, Eastern China's Shandong province began operating on Nov 15, the State Power Investment Corporation reported.

The plant is China's first commercial nuclear-powered heating plant and is projected to save 23,200 tons of coal per year.

It is the result of an agreement signed by the State Power Investment Corporation and the Energy Administration of Shandong province last summer.

The nuclear project, which includes the nuclear plant in Haiyang and another in Rongcheng, a county-level city in  Weihai, aims to provide a clean source of heating for the cities of Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai in Shandong province.