$100 million test nuclear reactor set for East Tennessee

California-based Kairos Power and Tennessee officials on Friday unveiled plans for a low-power demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge.

The privately funded, advanced nuclear engineering company will invest $100 million and create 55 jobs to deploy the nuclear reactor at the East Tennessee Technology Park, officials said.

Called Hermes, Kairos Power’s low-power demonstration reactor will show the company’s capability to deliver low-cost nuclear heat and is scheduled to be operational in 2026, according to officials.

The Hermes reactor is a scaled version of Kairos Power’s Fluoride SaltCooled High Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR), an advanced reactor technology that aims to be cost competitive with natural gas in the U.S. electricity market in order to provide carbon-free, affordable and safe energy.

“The opportunity to demonstrate Kairos Power’s advanced nuclear technology in Tennessee is a major milestone on the path to a clean and affordable energy system in the United States,” said Kairos Power CEO and co-founder Mike Laufer, in a statement.

Gov. Bill Lee said Oak Ridge “continues to lead the nation in groundbreaking technology, and we recognize Kairos Power for joining this effort.”

Tennessee Valley Authority President and CEO Jeff Lyash said that advanced nuclear technology plays a critical role in meeting electricity generation needs and carbon reduction goals in the next two decades.

In May, Kairos first announced plans to build a test reactor to try out its technology at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge.

Kairos said then it would partner with TVA to deploy the demonstration reactor on 185 acres the company is buying on the ETTP campus, which was developed on a brownfield site reclaimed from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Kairos effort is one of the biggest projects among the 20 or so companies now operating in the technology campus.