Kairos Power received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to start the construction of its Hermes reactor. 

The reactor will be built in Oak Ridge, TN and used to inform the development of the company’s fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor.  

Kairos is planning to have Hermes operational as early as 2026. 

Vote of Confidence 

NRC Commissioners voted to approve Kairos Power’s construction permit application (CPA) that was first submitted back in September 2021. 

The vote comes nearly two months after the NRC held its final review of the application on October 19, where the company and NRC staff addressed any outstanding questions on the safety and environmental reports completed earlier this year.  

The entire process took just over two years to complete and includes dozens of technical and topical reports which were developed, in part, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.  

Kairos will file a separate application for a Hermes operating license from the NRC in the future. 

“Kairos Power is thrilled to have achieved this major regulatory milestone as we make final preparations to start construction at the Hermes site next year," said Mike Laufer, Kairos Power co-founder and CEO. "We are excited for this next phase in the deployment of the Hermes reactor, and we remain committed to being a good community partner to our neighbors in Oak Ridge as we bring value to the region and build on its nuclear legacy."

“This is a huge milestone for the nuclear energy sector,” said Kathryn Huff, the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. “NRC’s approval of the first ever CPA granted to a Generation IV reactor charts a path forward for future design applications as we work toward deploying new reactor technologies. This accomplishment is a testament to the collaborative work among Kairos, the NRC, DOE and all stakeholders involved in the project.”  

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