Kairos Power teams up with Samsung to build 50-megawatt nuclear reactor for Google

Kairos Power has chosen Samsung Construction and Trading to help build its 50-megawatt nuclear demonstration plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The partnership, announced Monday, will bring up to $100 million in investment and engineering services as the startup aims to launch its Hermes 2 reactor by 2030.

This deal supports Kairos Power’s efforts to develop advanced nuclear technology for Google. In 2024, Google agreed to buy about 500 megawatts of nuclear power from Kairos by 2035. The partnership comes as electricity demand from AI data centers continues to rise.

Samsung Construction and Trading joins the reactor project

Samsung will invest in Kairos Power and provide engineering services worth up to $100 million under a binding agreement.

The firm has worked on major construction projects and has helped build about a dozen nuclear reactors around the world. The company will join Kairos Power’s engineering, procurement, and construction team along with other partners.

At first, it will handle certain engineering and construction tasks for power-generation systems and other equipment that support the reactor. These systems are outside the main nuclear area, which holds the core equipment.

“Samsung C&T’s investment and partnership reinforce the disciplined delivery model at the core of our commercialization strategy,” said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos Power.

Hermes 2 targets 2030 operation

Kairos Power started building Hermes 2 in Oak Ridge in April 2026, after getting a construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December 2024. The plant will produce 50 megawatts of electricity and connect to the power grid.

The reactor will demonstrate Kairos’ fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology, called KP-FHR. The project will help the company solve technical, licensing, manufacturing, and construction challenges before building larger commercial plants.

Kairos is also building Hermes 1 at the same location. This smaller reactor will help the company test and improve its commercial design. The electricity from the Hermes program will count toward the first 50 megawatts in the company’s deal with Google.

BREAKING NEWS: Samsung C&T will invest up to $100 million in Kairos Power and join our integrated engineering, procurement, and construction team, alongside other partners, to enable the successful delivery of the Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

This new… pic.twitter.com/HGWOCvLPhF

— Kairos Power (@KairosPower) September 21, 2026

Fluoride salt and advanced nuclear fuel

Hermes 2 will use fluoride salt as its coolant. These salts can withstand very high temperatures before boiling. This allows the reactor to run at lower pressures than most traditional water-cooled nuclear systems.

Lower operating pressure can reduce the risk of sudden pressure releases during equipment failures. The design is part of Kairos Power’s approach to developing advanced reactors with different safety characteristics from traditional nuclear plants.

The reactor will also use TRISO fuel. This fuel contains small uranium particles surrounded by layers of ceramic and carbon. The coated particles are then formed into larger fuel elements. The protective layers are designed to retain radioactive materials under extreme conditions and improve fuel performance.

Building a commercial nuclear fleet

Kairos Power has around five years from the start of Hermes 2 construction to its planned 2030 operation. That schedule reflects the company’s effort to demonstrate its technology and establish a path toward commercial deployment.

Samsung C&T’s participation could help Kairos strengthen project planning and construction capabilities as it prepares for future reactors. The companies also plan to use the partnership to support standardized KP-FHR plants that can be deployed in multiple markets.

“Our integrated EPC team brings together the complementary technology, engineering, manufacturing, and project-delivery capabilities needed to advance Hermes 2 and establish a foundation for broad deployment of KP-FHR technology,” said Ed Blandford, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Kairos Power.