(CFP Photo)

The Tianwan Nuclear Power Station in Lianyungang City achieved a national milestone on June 19 as it began supplying steam to the city’s petrochemical industry base.

The project can deliver 4.8 million tonnes of steam from the nuclear power plant annually, estimated to reduce the standard coal consumption by 400,000 tonnes each year and also comparable to planting 2,900 hectares of new forest.

According to Ye Qizhen, an academician at Chinese Academy of Engineering, nuclear energy plays a vital role in achieving China’s "dual carbon" goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

This project demonstrates the potential of nuclear energy to meet the diverse needs of high-energy-consuming industries, decarbonize high-emitting sectors, and support the national strategy for the green transformation of industries, Ye added.