# Kairos Power

**Type:** Advanced nuclear reactor developer  
**Founded:** 2016  
**Technology:** KP-FHR (Fluoride salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor)  
**Status:** Construction phase (Hermes demonstration reactors)  

## Overview

Kairos Power develops the KP-FHR, a Generation IV advanced reactor using molten fluoride salt (FLiBe) as primary coolant and nitrate salt (60:40 sodium nitrate/potassium nitrate) in the intermediate heat transfer loop. The company explicitly leverages concentrated solar power industry suppliers for its nitrate salt technology.

## Technology

- **Primary coolant:** Low-pressure molten fluoride salt (FLiBe) - Oak Ridge MSRE heritage from 1960s
- **Intermediate loop:** Nitrate salt ("solar salt") from CSP industry - thermal bridge to steam generator
- **Fuel:** HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium)
- **Design philosophy:** Intermediate loops using proven industrial thermal fluids rather than direct steam generation

## Timeline

- **2016** — Company founded
- **January 2026** — DOE finalized HALEU fuel supply contract for Hermes 1
- **May 2025** — Nuclear construction started on Hermes 1 (Oak Ridge, Tennessee)
- **October 2024** — [[kairos-google-500mw-deal]] Signed Master Plant Development Agreement with Google for 500 MW by 2035
- **Target 2027** — Hermes 1 completion (demonstration reactor)
- **Target 2030** — Hermes 2 operational (50 MW to TVA grid, serving Google datacenters in Tennessee and Alabama)

## Infrastructure

- Dedicated salt production facility under construction for molten salt coolant manufacturing
- First US utility PPA for Gen IV reactor: TVA agreement for Hermes 2

## Market Position

One of two leading advanced reactor companies (alongside TerraPower Natrium) winning major AI datacenter power contracts. Both companies independently adopted CSP-heritage nitrate salt technology despite competitive positioning.