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When nuclear power started to be considered for electricity production there were three serious contenders in the slow (ie moderated) category: graphite, heavy water, and light water.

In the UK, the use of natural uranium was preferred, and was also seen as a route to getting plutonium without the high costs of gaseous diffusion of uranium for enrichment. Heavy water was not available in quantity so graphite and carbon dioxide cooling was the adopted route, giving the magnox design. This was later developed into the AGR design using enriched uranium in oxide form, allowing higher gas temperature and efficiency. These reactors were quite successful eventually, but turned out to be very expensive to build and have reached the end of the line, I don't think any more will ever be built.

In Canada heavy water could be produced with cheaper hydro power, and the Candu type was developed, again with natural uranium.

In th US, which had a good start in uranium gaseous diffusion in the Manhattan Project, the possibility of building small enriched uranium reactors to go in submarines was the main incentive to developing the PWR. Thse later transmuted to large central power station designs. Also the BWR was developed in parallel. These two types now are the most built world wide. The principles are much the same as they were 40 years or more ago, the main advances have been in making the plants more reliable and easier to operate, and adding extra safety features.

There are many other possible reactors: fast breeders with liquid metal coolant, helium cooled with gas turbines and pebble bed fuel, thorium fuel, and others, but I don't think any have commercial appeal to companies that are only interested in pumping out electricity, so it is unlikely any of these will be built unless Government feels it worth investing in prototypes, and with the financial state of affairs as it is now this seems very unlikely, whilst there is no shortage of uranium for PWR's and BWR's.

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