China's second nuclear power unit using Hualong One, a domestically designed third-generation nuclear reactor, reached full power operation for the first time, bringing it one step closer to commercial operation.

The No 6 unit in the city of Fuqing, East China's Fujian province, achieved this monumental feat at 8:45 pm on Saturday and all parameters were normal, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation.

The unit was connected to the power grid and started power generation on Jan 1.

The No 5 unit using Hualong One in Fuqing was the first put into commercial use globally on Jan 30 last year and another unit using the reactor was also put into commercial use in Pakistan last year.

The reactor meets the highest international safety standards and is fully capable of being mass produced, with independent intellectual property rights from Chinese nuclear power companies.

It is a major achievement of China's development, built on more than 30 years of experience and bringing China into the leading countries for the third generation of nuclear reactors.

According to CNNC, every nuclear power unit using Hualong One has an installed capacity of 1.16 million kilowatts. It is expected to generate nearly 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equivalent to reduction of 3.12 million tons of standard coal consumption and 8.16 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

On Feb 1, Chinese companies signed a general contract with an Argentine company on building a nuclear unit using Hualong One in the South American country. On Feb 7, Britain has confirmed the reactor adequate for domestic use.