Samsung C&T is investing up to $100m in US nuclear start-up Kairos Power to develop small modular reactors (SMR) destined to power Google's AI data centres.
In 2024, Google signed a deal with Kairos to develop a fleet of SMRs capable of generating 500MW of nuclear power by 2035. These reactors will inject clean electricity directly into the local grids that supply Google’s energy-hungry data infrastructure.
The start-up is developing a type of SMR called a fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR).
Unlike traditional nuclear plants that rely on high-pressure water as a coolant, the KP-FHR combines “meltdown-proof” TRISO fuel with a low-pressure molten fluoride salt coolant, which supposedly limits the risk of high-pressure blowouts. The modular, compact design also supports multi-unit deployment.
In April 2026, Kairos started construction on the Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee - the company's first commercial-scale, power-producing reactor expected...