China's first nuclear power plant featuring private capital participation, also the first "Hualong One" unit in the Yangtze River Delta region, was put into operation and started electricity generation on Wednesday, said its operator China General Nuclear Power Group.

Marking a historic breakthrough for private investment in China's major energy infrastructure, the Unit 1 of the Zhejiang San'ao nuclear power project is expected to generate over 9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, meeting the daily production and living demands of more than 1 million residents, it said.

Since its inception, the mega-project has collaborated with about 2,000 private enterprises, achieving multiple breakthroughs in independent core technology, intelligent engineering construction, and innovative financing models.

Notably, the Phase I project marks a historic step as China's first nuclear endeavor to introduce private investment, with Geely Technology Group holding a 2 percent stake, setting a benchmark for private capital's role in major national energy infrastructure.