GCR — Gas-Cooled Reactor

Reactor technology overview and global count

GCR stands for Gas-Cooled Reactor. Uses carbon dioxide gas as coolant and graphite as moderator. The British Magnox and later AGR fleets are the main examples. Most units of this type have now been permanently shut down. In the WhereNuc dataset there are 52 recorded GCR units across 5 countries, of which 8 are operational. Their combined net operating capacity is about 4,927 MW. The earliest recorded GCR unit entered commercial operation in 1956, the most recent in 1989.

Countries using GCR reactors

Common GCR models

Other reactor types