Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Nuclear firm Kairos Power has broken ground on Hermes 2, the first advanced nuclear reactor in the U.S. The plant is set to go online in 2030 and will deliver 50 MW of carbon-free power to support Google data centers in the Tennessee/Alabama region.
The small modular reactor will use molten salt cooling instead of pressurized water and TRISO fuel, designed to operate at ambient pressure and withstand extreme heat, aiming to make nuclear power safer.
The project is part of a larger 500 MW agreement between Google and the Tennessee Valley Authority. “To power the future, we need smart, firm energy sources,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s Global Head of Data Center Energy. “This will help meet the needs of our digital economy while bringing firm carbon-free energy to the grid.”
Kairos developed the technology over 10 years with U.S. regulators. The NRC estimates Hermes 2 will use far less uranium than traditional reactors over its 11-year license, with waste stored onsite until it solidifies.
