First power-producing advanced nuclear reactor in US gets permit to build in Oak Ridge – Google to power data centers with Kairos reactors
Kairos Power, the California-based company building advanced nuclear test reactors in Oak Ridge, has reached another milestone in obtaining a construction permit for its first electricity-producing reactor.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Nov. 20 that it has approved a construction permit for Hermes 2, the second iteration of Kairos’ fluoride salt-cooled reactor. Kairos began building the first Hermes, its low-power demonstration reactor, at the Heritage Center Industrial Park in July.
In December 2023, the original Hermes reactor became the first non-water-cooled reactor to receive a construction permit from the agency in more than 50 years. Hermes, which is bringing $100 million worth of investment and 55 jobs to Oak Ridge, will prove its technology by producing heat − but not electricity − when it becomes operational in 2027.
Likewise, Hermes 2 is the first electricity-producing Generation IV reactor to be approved for construction by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company has not said when construction will begin.
Kairos, founded in 2016, will need to apply for a separate operating license for the reactor, which will build on discoveries from its predecessor. The company uses an iterative approach to expedite both the technological development of its reactors and the typically lengthy licensing process.
Kairos has worked with the regulatory agency since 2018 to speed up approvals.
Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos, said :
We are proud to lead the industry in advanced reactor licensing and look forward to continued collaboration with the NRC as we chart a path forward with future applications,
Hermes 2, which will produce electricity for the grid, is pioneering this new class of Generation IV nuclear reactors. The advanced reactor designs operate at high temperatures and are mostly cooled by materials other than water, like salt or gas. They have more passive safety features than the Generation II and III water-cooled nuclear plants operating today.
Google to power data centers with Kairos reactors
Kairos will build both reactors on the same site at the Heritage Center in southwest Oak Ridge, an industrial park that was formerly Department of Energy property and home to the K-25 gaseous diffusion plant.
The Department of Energy will provide up to $303 million to support the two test reactors. Salt-cooled reactor technology was first developed at the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Kairos is partnering with the lab and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
In a growing trend in the nuclear energy industry, Kairos has attracted attention from tech giants looking to power AI data centers with clean energy.
Kairos and Google signed an agreement in October to support the deployment of a fleet of nuclear reactors totaling 500 megawatts by 2035. Google will purchase from Kairos power generated by reactors placed adjacent to data centers.
The pair signed the agreement days before Amazon signed a similar agreement with small modular reactor developer X-energy to help fund its design and its fuel production facility in Oak Ridge in return for clean energy.
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First power-producing advanced nuclear reactor in US gets permit to build in Oak Ridge – Google to power data centers with Kairos reactors, source
