Kairos Power Secures $643 Million for Tennessee Nuclear Reactor

Kairos Power LLC secured $643 million in combined private and government funding to construct the Hermes 2 demonstration nuclear reactor in Tennessee. The financing includes $275 million from the United States Department of Energy and $368 million from private investors, including Google Ventures, DCVC, and a $70 million contribution from Samsung C&T Corp.

The 50-megawatt system utilizes molten salt coolant and is scheduled to start up in 2030. Beyond the Tennessee construction, the company allocated a portion of the funds to expand its manufacturing capabilities in New Mexico.

To ensure the commercial viability of the project, Kairos Power reached an agreement to sell the electricity generated by the Hermes 2 system to the Tennessee Valley Authority. This power is intended to support data centers owned by Google.