The first turbine of the Yunnan Gongguoqiao Hydropower Station was put into operation on Wednesday, said China Huaneng Group, the project's owner.

The station, located at the Lancang River in Yunlong county, Southwest China's Yunnan province, has an installed capacity of 900,000 kilowatts, an average annual energy production of four billion kilowatt hours and a reservoir level of 1,307 meters.

With a total investment of nine billion yuan ($142 million), the project is Yunnan's first major hydropower station during the 12th Five Year Plan period. It will have four turbines after completion and all of them will be in operation by 2012.

The station can help reduce more than 620,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to statistics by the National Reform and Development Commission.

The project's owner, China Huaneng Group is a state-owned company engaged in energy development with a registered capital of 20 billion yuan ($3.15 billion).