DOE and Oak Ridge Partner with Kairos Power on $27 Million Advanced Reactor Project
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$27 million partnership launched to speed advanced reactor design – The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Kairos Power signed a five‑year strategic agreement worth $27 million to accelerate development of Kairos’s fluoride‑salt‑cooled high‑temperature reactor, providing expertise, facility access, and component manufacturing [1].
ORNL will evaluate TRISO fuel and salt‑compatible materials – Over the contract term, ORNL will assess fuel manufacturing methods, quality of TRISO fuel particles, properties of fuel pebbles, and test ceramics, carbon composites and metals that contact molten fluoride salt at extreme temperatures, also developing remote‑maintenance systems for high‑heat, radiation‑rich environments [1].
Hermes 1 demonstration reactor under construction in Oak Ridge – Kairos is building the Hermes Low‑Power Demonstration Reactor (Hermes 1), the first non‑light‑water reactor approved by the NRC, with ground broken in July 2024 and safety‑related construction starting May 2025; it will not generate electricity but will inform the larger Hermes 2 50 MWe plant [1].
DOE commits up to $303 million for risk‑reduction under ARDP – The Department of Energy is providing as much as $303 million through the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program to mature Kairos’s molten‑salt reactor design, marking the fourth ORNL‑Kairos partnership since 2020 [1].
Kairos CTO credits ORNL expertise for faster technology maturity – Ed Blandford, Kairos’s chief technology officer and co‑founder, said DOE support and collaboration with ORNL give access to decades of expertise and unique capabilities essential for deploying safe, reliable advanced reactors [1].
ORNL director emphasizes role in meeting future energy demand – Stephen Streiffer, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, highlighted that providing scientific foundations for new technologies and partnering with industry are key to delivering reliable, affordable energy as demand rises toward 2050 [1].
- Ed Blandford, chief technology officer and co‑founder, Kairos Power – “DOE’s support has been instrumental in helping Kairos Power accelerate our path to technological maturity… By collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we gain access to decades of expertise and a unique set of capabilities that we couldn’t find anywhere else. We are pleased to partner with the lab as we work to deploy safe, reliable advanced reactor technology that builds on Oak Ridge’s nuclear legacy.”
- Stephen Streiffer, director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory – “Providing the scientific basis for new technology is what we do at Oak Ridge National Laboratory… With energy demand expected to increase substantially by 2050, our continued partnerships with US industry, including Kairos Power, are how we will bring more reliable, affordable energy to market.”
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (statement) – “Ultimately, the project's outcomes will support the design, construction and eventual operation of Kairos Power's planned Hermes demonstration reactors under construction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and subsequent commercialisation of its planned fluoride salt‑cooled high‑temperature reactor.”