Regulatory Update

NRC Issues Safety Evaluation Supporting the Construction Permit Application for the Kairos Power Hermes 2 Project

July 19, 2024

The NRC issued a safety evaluation (SE) documenting the completion of its staff’s review of the construction permit application submitted by Kairos Power LLC (Kairos) on July 14, 2023. The application is for the Hermes 2 test reactor facility, which is proposed to be built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will support development of Kairos’s fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology. The Hermes 2 test reactor facility will contain two 35-megawatt thermal reactors using tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles.  This comprehensive technical review was completed in 12 months,  which is 4 months ahead of the original schedule at an review cost that was nominally 40% lower than the original project estimates.  Remaining steps for issuance of the Construction Permit include addressing mandatory hearing requirements and completion of a final review by the Commission.