Technology and Science21 September, 20263 min read
Samsung C&T Partners With Kairos Power on $70 Million Hermes SMR Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
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Samsung C&T partners with Kairos Power to develop Hermes SMR demonstration reactor Equity investment and in-kind engineering services from Samsung C&T total up to $100 million
SMR deal and funding
Samsung C&T will expand into Small Modular Reactor projects in the United States by partnering with U.S. SMR developer Kairos Power and pushing a $70 million investment, the company said it would sign a strategic memorandum of understanding on the 23rd.
Kairos Power Chief Executive Officer Mike Laufer and Samsung C&T Energy Solutions Division Head Lee Chang-uk (executive vice president) will attend the agreement event, and Samsung C&T’s engineering and construction group said it will cooperate on the demonstration and commercialization of next-generation SMRs.
Kairos Power is building the Hermes demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the project is described as the first non-light-water reactor project in about 50 years to receive construction approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kairos Power is targeting commercialization with a target to begin operation in 2031, while the partnership also includes design and constructability reviews for the Hermes demonstration reactor and priority rights for engineering, procurement and construction for commercial reactors.
Kairos Power Chief Executive Officer Mike Laufer said, "We expect that by combining Kairos Power's innovative reactor technology and commercialization and supply model with Samsung C&T's world-class project execution capabilities, we can accelerate the commercialization of next-generation nuclear power."
Hermes technology and timeline
Kairos Power’s proprietary KP-FHR design uses molten-salt cooling, and Samsung C&T’s partnership materials describe molten salt as a substance made by melting solid salt at high temperatures into a liquid.
The agreement frames next-generation SMRs as enabling high-temperature operation at low pressure by using non-water coolants such as molten salt or sodium instead of water, and the approach is described as reducing the burden of high-pressure equipment.
Samsung C&T’s construction division said the agreement is scheduled to be signed on Sept. 23 during Climate Week NYC in New York, with senior executives from both companies expected to attend.
Kairos Power’s Hermes project is targeting commercial operation in 2031, and Samsung C&T plans to participate in key tasks including design and constructability reviews for the Hermes demonstration reactor.
Lee Chang-uk said, "This agreement will be an important milestone to lead the next-generation nuclear power market," and he added that close cooperation with Kairos Power is meant to carry out the SMR demonstration project and create business opportunities in global commercialization markets.
Google-linked reactor plans
Kairos Power has selected Samsung C&T to assist in building its 50 megawatt demonstration nuclear reactor for Google, and Kairos Power said the deal aims for completion by 2030. TechCrunch reported that Samsung C&T will make an equity investment in Kairos and provide "in-kind" engineering services, and Kairos Power said the combination is worth up to $100 million. Kairos Power said the equity investment will make up $70 million of the total, and the company’s spokesperson told TechCrunch that the arrangement supports a broader plan to develop advanced nuclear reactors using fluoride salt-cooled technology and TRISO fuel.
Kairos Power is building two reactors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and TechCrunch said the first, Hermes 1, is a low-power demonstrator while the second, Hermes 2, is described as its first commercial-scale reactor. Ed Blandford, CTO and co-founder of Kairos Power, said, "Deploying advanced nuclear energy at commercial scale requires strong, capable partners across the full project lifecycle," as Samsung C&T agreed to join Kairos’s integrated engineering, procurement, and construction team for Hermes 2.