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February 02, 2025 | Tom Ballard

Kairos Power completes reactor vessel install on second non-nuclear Engineering Test Unit

The announcement marks further progress on the two Hermes facilities planned for Oak Ridge.

Kairos Power, which started construction on the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor (Hermes 1) at the end of July 2024 in Oak Ridge, announced last week that the company has successfully completed design, construction, and installation of the reactor vessel for its second non-nuclear Engineering Test Unit (ETU 2.0). It is the first reactor vessel to be fabricated in-house at Kairos Power’s Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, NM.

The reactor vessel is a central component of the Engineering Test Unit, which Kairos Power is building to advance the iterative development of its Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR) technology. ETU 2.0 will demonstrate KP-FHR system integration in an optimized, fully modular design, building on lessons learned from its predecessor (ETU 1.0).

A primary objective of the ETU program is to mature Kairos Power’s internal manufacturing capabilities, mitigating supply chain risk for the Hermes demonstration reactor series and Kairos Power’s commercial fleet. With ETU 2.0, the company is ramping up the output of ASME U-stamped pressure vessels, advancing the production of specialized reactor components, and gaining proficiency in modular construction methods.

ETU 2.0 reactor vessel

The ETU 2.0 reactor vessel is not only a significant construction milestone; it’s a contract milestone under Kairos Power’s Technology Investment Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for risk reduction funding through the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP).

Under the agreement, Kairos Power receives fixed, performance-based payments from DOE upon demonstrating the achievement of pre-determined project milestones. This fiscally responsible approach ensures Kairos Power only gets paid when the company delivers. DOE has agreed to invest up to $303 million in the Hermes reactor project through the ARDP, supplementing Kairos Power’s substantial private investment.

Also, in mid-October 2024, Kairos Power and Google announced the signing of a Master Plant Development Agreement, creating a path to deploy U.S. fleet of advanced nuclear power projects totaling 500 MW by 2035. 



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