The daily output of China's 131 seawater desalination projects reached more than 1.18 million tonnes by the end of 2016, according to an official report released Wednesday.

The report on seawater utilization in 2016 issued by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said China's largest desalination project could produce 200,000 tonnes of water per day.

The cost of desalinated seawater per tonne ranges from five to eight yuan (0.74 to 1.19 U.S. dollars), the report said.

Of China's desalinated water, 66.61 percent has been used for industrial purposes and the rest for residential use, the report said.

China will speed up the legislation on seawater utilization, expand the use of seawater and address public concerns over drinking desalinated seawater, said Qu Tanzhou, head of science and technology department under the SOA.