A typical desalination facility [File photo/cztv.com]

The desalination plant at the green petrochemical base in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province was recently completed and is expected to be put into use next month, local media reported.

The plant, located in Yushan Island, Daishan county, will be the largest of its kind in China upon being put into operation.

The first phase of the project, worth over 1.5 billion yuan ($221.2 million), is designed to desalinate 180,000 metric tons of water from the sea per day, and the whole project aims to raise the figure to 241,500 tons per day by 2020.

As a supporting facility of the 40-million-ton-capacity refining-chemical integration project of the Zhejiang Petrochemical Co, it will help meet the needs of the project for fresh water and plays an important role in building a world-class modern comprehensive oil base in Zhoushan.

In addition, the project is also conducive to improving local ecological protection and boosting marine tourism in the area. It was supported by the government at local and national levels.