China has the second-largest number of nuclear power units in operation or under construction in the world, according to the China Nuclear Energy Association.

The Chinese mainland has 55 nuclear power units in operation with a combined installed capacity of 57 gigawatts (GW) and 24 units under construction with a total installed capacity of 27.8 GW, Wang Binghua, an official at the association, told a meeting in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, earlier this week.

The Chinese mainland has approved 21 new nuclear power units since 2021, said Wang, adding that six to eight nuclear power units are expected to be greenlighted annually within the foreseeable future.

As of August, the country has approved six new nuclear power generation units this year, expanding three existing plants in east China's Shandong and Fujian provinces and northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Nuclear power is expected to contribute about 10 percent of the power generation on the Chinese mainland by 2035, and the proportion is expected to rise to 18 percent by 2060, with a total generation capacity of 400 GW, as the country strives to meet its carbon neutrality goal, Wang said.

(With input from Xinhua)