NRC Commission Issues Construction Permit for Hermes Demonstration Reactor

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a construction permit to Kairos Power for the Hermes non-power demonstration reactor to be built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The demonstrator reactor is intended to provide operational data to support the development of a larger version for commercial power targeted in the early 2030s. The Hermes series aims to help mitigate technology, licensing, supply chain, and construction risk to achieve cost certainty for Kairos Power’s fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) technology.

UCBNE faculty Per Peterson is one of the co-founders of Kairos Power alongside UCBNE alumn Mike Laufer.

Read the Kairos Power write-up and NRC press release.