- Kairos Power has begun site work for the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor, the first non-light-water and Gen IV reactor approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in over 50 years.
- The Hermes reactor, expected to be operational by 2027, aims to demonstrate affordable nuclear heat production and will not generate electricity; this function is planned for the Hermes 2 plant.
- The project will invest $100 million and create over 55 full-time jobs in East Tennessee, leveraging advanced technologies and continuing the region’s nuclear innovation legacy.
The clean energy-producing engineering company, Kairos Power, has announced the commencement of site work for the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor. This is the first non-light-water reactor to be permitted in the United States in over 50 years. This is also the first and only Gen IV reactor to be approved for construction by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Projected to be operational by 2027, this reactor is a pivotal step for the company’s iterative path to commercializing advanced reactor technology. Its main purpose will be to demonstrate the ability to produce affordable nuclear heat, but it will not produce electricity: which is expected in the next iteration, the proposed Hermes 2 plant.
The NRC issued a construction permit for Hermes last December. Kairos Power has also applied for a construction permit for the electricity-generating Hermes 2 test reactor, which will also be built at Oak Ridge and will feature two 35 MWt units similar to the Hermes plant. Earlier this month, the regulator announced the finishing of its final safety tests for the Hermes 2 construction application, finishing its review of the design nearly four months ahead of schedule and using roughly 60% fewer resources than expected, thanks to lessons learned from its earlier review of the Hermes plant.
The fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor will leverage proven technologies that originated in Oak Ridge—a novel combination of TRISO coated particle fuel and Flibe molten fluoride salt coolant, which yields robust inherent safety while simplifying the reactor’s design.
“Hermes is a pivotal step toward deploying advanced reactor technology with the potential to transform our energy landscape,” said Mike Laufer, Kairos Power CEO and co-founder. “The lessons we take away from the construction and operation of this reactor will be invaluable to enable continued innovation in our testing program and accelerate Kairos Power’s progress toward delivering true cost certainty to our customers.”
Kairos Power has committed to invest at least $100 million and create 55+ high-paying, full-time jobs in East Tennessee to support Hermes’ construction and operation. Rising from the footprint of the historic Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the project will continue the region’s distinguished nuclear legacy and promote its resurgence as a hub for advanced nuclear innovation.
“We’re thrilled to start building in the historic East Tennessee Technology Park,” said Edward Blandford, Kairos Power Chief Technology Officer and co-founder. “The City of Oak Ridge, the Department of Energy and its contractors, and the Barnard team have all been excellent partners in helping us repurpose this brownfield site. Barnard’s strong track record and people-centered culture are a great match for Kairos Power, and we look forward to working together over the long term to realize the future of clean nuclear energy.”
