FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – November 30, 2021 – Today the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced that it has formally accepted Kairos Power’s Construction Permit Application (CPA) for the Hermes low-power demonstration reactor to be built at the East Tennessee Technology Park Heritage Center site in Oak Ridge.
“This licensing milestone represents a significant achievement, concluding a tremendous cross-functional effort by the Kairos Power team to complete the application just 18 months after the decision to build the Hermes reactor was made. We are incredibly proud of our team’s commitment to achieving this goal in such a short time. This licensing effort, in combination with our ongoing technology development and manufacturing programs, will lay the groundwork to prove that we can deliver cost certainty for commercial demonstration and deployment,” said Mike Laufer, Kairos Power Co-Founder and CEO.
In accordance with NRC regulations, the Hermes CPA consists of two primary parts: a Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR), submitted in September, followed by an Environmental Report (ER) in October. The announcement means the NRC has completed its acceptance review of the application, which determines whether there is sufficient technical information in scope and depth to move forward. The NRC will now embark on a detailed technical review.
The NRC’s acceptance of the Hermes CPA caps off a productive pre-application engagement period between Kairos Power and the NRC. Since 2018, Kairos Power has submitted 11 topical reports that have been approved or are under review and a number of technical reports, which will contribute to future applications.
“This is an important step in our licensing process, and we are excited to have achieved this milestone on the way to construction. Additionally, the lessons learned from Hermes will inform the licensing process for future reactors, consistent with Kairos Power’s rapid iterative development approach,” said Peter Hastings, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Quality.
“We look forward to continued productive engagement with the NRC as we work toward a timely approval of the Hermes construction permit. We believe the deployment of this innovative technology will make a real difference, and we are excited to have made this big step toward that goal,” said Darrell Gardner, Senior Director of Licensing.
The Hermes demonstration reactor will be a key step on the path toward commercializing Kairos Power’s fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) technology. Kairos Power is deeply committed to a culture that embraces iterative development and enables an integrated design philosophy, testing program, and licensing approach to deliver a safe, reliable source of affordable clean energy. Hardware demonstrations like Hermes will play an important role in establishing cost certainty and validating the licensing approach for future commercial reactors.
Kairos Power is the recipient of a Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) award for risk reduction funding to support development, construction, and commissioning of Hermes in collaboration with its partners: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Materion Corporation, and the Electric Power Research Institute. This is a cost-shared partnership between the DOE and industry to demonstrate advanced nuclear technology in the U.S. The total award value over the next seven years is $629 million, with the DOE contributing $303 million.
Kairos Power has also established a cooperative development agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide defined engineering, operations, and licensing services for Hermes. Kairos Power is pleased to have the support and collaboration of industry leaders as it builds on a long history of nuclear innovation in Oak Ridge.
For more information about Hermes, visit Kairos Power’s virtual open house at kairospower.consultation.ai
About Kairos Power:
Kairos Power is a nuclear technology, engineering and manufacturing company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy with the ultimate goal of dramatically improving people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. Kairos Power is singularly focused on achieving this goal by commercializing its fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR), a clean source of carbon-free energy that can be deployed with robust safety at an affordable cost.
CONTACT:
Ashley Lewis
Corporate Communications
media@kairospower.com
