Kairos Hermes 1
US
Basics
Reactor Type
Molten Salt Reactor
Molten salt reactor
Primary heat transport: molten salt - often F compounds
Primary heat transport: molten salt - often F compounds
Reactor Description
Hydrogen moderated pebble MSR
Electric Output (MWe)
non-power
Thermal Output (MWt)
35
Size
No electric power
Spectrum
Thermal
Kinetic neutron energy of 0.000…0.025 eV
Slow or cold neutron / moderated neutron spectrum
Slow or cold neutron / moderated neutron spectrum
Developer
KAIROS Power, LLC.
Pilot Site Details
Oak Ridge National Lab, Tennessee
Details
Use (goal of commercial operation)
Demonstration
Deployment medium
Land-based
Design Lifetime (Years)
80
Fuel
Fuel class
HALEU
High-assay low enriched uranium
Uranium enriched to 5…20 percent U-235
Uranium enriched to 5…20 percent U-235
Fuel Type
TRISO Pebble
Tristructural isotropic (nuclear fuel)
Consists of movable spherical elements of tennis-ball size called pebbles
Consists of movable spherical elements of tennis-ball size called pebbles
Fuel Cycle
N/A
Refuelling Cycle
N/A
Cooling & Temperature
Reactor cooling of primary loop
Fluoride Salt
Reactor moderator
NaOH Salt
Reactor Outlet Temperature (°C)
585
Status
Design status
Under construction
Licensing status
- December 2023 - NRC issued construction...
- December 2023 - NRC issued construction permit
- August 2023 - Final environmental impact statement successfully reviewed
- June 2023 - Final safety evaluation issued
- September 2021 - Construction licence application submitted
- 2018 - Pre-conceptual Design completed
- Full NRC licencing status available online
Deployment timeline
- July 2024 - Construction began...
- July 2024 - Construction began at Oak Ridge National Lab, Tennessee
- 2026 - Construction completion expected
- 2027 - Operation expected
Agreements and Engagement
- Construction began of a cooling salt...
- Construction began of a cooling salt production facility at Albuquerque manufacturing site in Oct 2024
- Testing Facility built in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2021
- Kairos Power formed an advanced nuclear development advisory consortium with four North American nuclear operators – Bruce Power, Constellation, Southern Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority in 2022
