Northeast China's first nuclear-powered heating project is ready to supply heat to residents around Hongyanhe, a town in Dalian City, Liaoning Province, according to China Media Group (CMG).

The Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant is China's largest operating nuclear power plant to date with total installed capacity of 6.71 gigawatts (GW) encompassing six pressured water reactors.

As one of the alternative applications of nuclear power, the plant's heat network can cover 242,400 square meters of heating area.

Nuclear-based district heating is promising for urban areas plagued with polluted air and greenhouse gases released from burning of fossil fuels. It is free of carbon dioxide emission and heats households more efficiently.

The six units can generate 48 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, accounting for approximately 20 percent of the total electricity consumption in Liaoning Province.

It's last nuclear reactor unit entered commercial production in June.