The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has directed NRC staff to issue construction permits to Kairos Power for the company’s proposed Hermes 2 non-power test reactor facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
The permits authorize Kairos to build a facility with two 35-megawatt thermal test reactors that would use molten salt to cool the reactor cores.
Following a new, streamlined mandatory hearing process conducted via written documents, the Commission authorized the agency’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation to issue the permits, having found the staff’s review of the Hermes 2 application adequate to make the necessary regulatory safety and environmental findings. NRC staff expects to issue the permits in the near future.
The Hermes 2 facility would include the two reactors and a shared power generation system. The facility is intended to provide operational data to support the development of a larger version for commercial electricity production.
The NRC would need to review and approve a future application from Kairos before operating licenses for the Hermes 2 facility could be issued.
The Tennessee Valley Authority and Kairos Power have been working together since May 2021 through a collaboration agreement to provide engineering, operations, and licensing support.
In April 2022, TVA joined a consortium assembled by Kairos Power with other North American utilities (including Bruce Power, Constellation, and Southern Company) to help further develop the Kairos Power advanced fluoride salt cooled high temperature reactor.
“The advanced energy sector contributes nearly $56 billion to Tennessee’s GDP every year,” said TVA spokesperson Elizabeth O'Connor. “TVA is proud to have Kairos as a partner and next-door neighbor. The advancement of new nuclear technologies like Hermes 2 are crucial for our country’s energy security and job creation.”
