Magnox
Magnox reactor is an early UK gas-cooled design using natural uranium metal fuel in magnesium alloy cans and CO2 coolant.
Magnox units (50-250 MWe) feature graphite moderation and steel pressure vessels, with 26 built from 1956-1971. Fuel canning limits burnup to 3 GWd/t. All decommissioned except Sizewell A.
Why it matters now
Magnox legacy sites drive UK waste management costs into 2026; historical data supports gas-cooled tech revival in HTGRs for high-temperature process heat.