BEIJING, March 2 -- China will start construction of a floating nuclear power station by the end of this year, a senior corporate executive said.

The facility, designed to power offshore oil and gas drilling, island development and remote areas, is scheduled to be put into operation in 2019, said Sun Qin, board chairman of the National Nuclear Corporation.

The company holds all the intellectual property rights of the floating nuclear reactor, said Sun, a deputy to the National People's Congress, before the opening of the annual legislative session.

Currently, China has 30 nuclear power generating units in operation and another 24 units are under construction, all on land.