MAGNOX
The MAGNOX is a Generation I gas-cooled reactor. 1 unit is operating and 0 are under construction, out of 30 on record.
Britain's first commercial reactor line, named for the magnesium alloy cladding on its natural uranium metal fuel. Carbon dioxide cooled, graphite moderated, and dual-purpose in the early units, producing plutonium alongside electricity. Built by several UK consortia rather than a single vendor. All units are now retired; Wylfa, the last, shut in 2015.
| Vendor | built by consortium, no single vendor |
|---|---|
| Reactor type | Gas-cooled reactor (GCR) |
| Generation | I |
| Capacity range | 50–590 MWe gross |
| Coolant | Carbon dioxide |
| Typical enrichment | Natural uranium to 2.5–3.5% U-235 |
| North Korea | 2 units, 1 operating |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26 units |
| Italy | 1 unit |
| Japan | 1 unit |
How long it took to build
Years from construction start to grid connection, for units with both dates on record. The median across 28 finished units is 5.4 years. 1 finished unitis missing one of the two dates and is left out.
All MAGNOX units
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyongbyon nuclear power plant 1 | North Korea | 5 | 1985 | |
| Berkeley nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 166 | 1962 |
| Berkeley nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 166 | 1962 |
| Bradwell nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 146 | 1962 |
| Bradwell nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 146 | 1962 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1956 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1957 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 3 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1958 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 4 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1959 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1959 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1959 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 3 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1959 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 4 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 | 1960 |
| Dungeness nuclear power plant A1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 230 | 1965 |
| Dungeness nuclear power plant A2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 230 | 1965 |
| Hinkley Point nuclear power plant A1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 267 | 1965 |
| Hinkley Point nuclear power plant A2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 267 | 1965 |
| Hunterston nuclear power plant A1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 173 | 1964 |
| Hunterston nuclear power plant A2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 173 | 1964 |
| Latina nuclear power plant | Italy | Retired | 160 | 1964 |
| Nyongbyon nuclear power plant 2 | North Korea | Cancelled | 50 | - |
| Oldbury nuclear power plant A1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 230 | 1967 |
| Oldbury nuclear power plant A2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 230 | 1968 |
| Sizewell nuclear power plant A1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 245 | 1966 |
| Sizewell nuclear power plant A2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 245 | 1966 |
| Tokai nuclear power plant 1 | Japan | Retired | 166 | 1966 |
| Trawsfynydd nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 235 | 1965 |
| Trawsfynydd nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 235 | 1965 |
| Wylfa nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 530 | 1971 |
| Wylfa nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 540 | 1972 |
Sources
- MAGNOX, vendor documentation
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release , CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data