Key facts
- Kairos Power will build a 50-megawatt demonstration nuclear reactor for Google.
- Samsung C&T will invest $70 million in equity and provide engineering services worth up to $100 million.
- The reactor is expected to be completed by 2030.
- Kairos Power received Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval in November 2024.
- The reactor will use a fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature design and TRISO nuclear fuel.
Kairos Power has selected Samsung C&T to assist in the construction of its 50-megawatt demonstration nuclear reactor, a project for Google that the startup aims to complete by 2030. The agreement includes an equity investment from Samsung C&T and engineering services, collectively valued at up to $100 million, with $70 million designated for the equity stake.
Samsung C&T brings experience from building approximately a dozen nuclear reactors globally. This partnership comes as Kairos Power, like other nuclear startups, benefits from increased demand for power driven by AI data centers. Google initially contracted with Kairos in the fall of 2024, seeking nuclear reactors to generate about half a gigawatt of electricity by 2035.
Kairos is currently developing two reactors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Hermes 1, a low-power demonstrator for design refinement, and Hermes 2, its first commercial-scale reactor. The output from Hermes will contribute to the initial 50 megawatts for the Google deal. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted approval for these reactors in November 2024, with Hermes 2 anticipated to commence operations in 2030, aligning with the original Google agreement.
The Hermes 2 reactor will utilize a fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature design, a technology previously proposed but not yet built at a commercial scale. This design leverages the high boiling point of fluoride salts to maintain low pressure, thereby reducing the risk of blowouts in case of component failure. Additionally, Kairos is employing TRISO nuclear fuel, a novel form where uranium fuel is encased in ceramic and carbon layers within billiard ball-sized spheres to prevent meltdowns.
While Kairos has a five-year timeline to operationalize its first power plant, fulfilling the Google contract will require accelerated progress on subsequent reactors, a task where Samsung C&T's expertise may prove crucial.