China is on track to surpass the United States to have the biggest nuclear capacity in the world over the next 10 to 15 years, the World Nuclear Association (WNA) said on Tuesday.

The country is set to overtake France with the second-highest number of nuclear reactors by the end of the decade, Agneta Rising, WNA's director general, said during the Singapore International Energy Week.

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"For China, the air pollution is a major driver," she said.

There are 134 operable reactors in Asia that generated 400 terawatt-hours of electricity last year, accounting for 16 percent of global nuclear generation, Reuters reported citing WNA's report.

Another 39 reactors with a total capacity of 48.4 gigawatts are now under construction in Asia. And China holds the bulk with 20 reactors under construction.

Furthermore, there are also plans to build 50 more reactors with a capacity of over 50,000 megawatts in nine countries. Most of them intent to power up their first nuclear reactors before 2030.

Of these nine nations, Bangladesh appears likely to be the first to enter operation in six years. Meanwhile, other countries like Malaysia and Thailand are pushing back the timeline for new reactors to come online, according to Reuters.

"It's a combination of cost as it's a large infrastructure and also there needs to be more groups involved in discussions and have transparency in plans," Rising said.

Industrializing nations mostly lead new reactor construction. Four nations, namely, China, India, Russia, and South Korean, are anticipated to account for nearly three-fourths (70%) of reactors commissioned in the period to 2030, the International News noted.

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