Next-generation ‘salt-cooled’ nuclear plant coming to Oak Ridge after construction approved

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Next-generation ‘salt-cooled’ nuclear plant coming to Oak Ridge after construction approved

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Another milestone has been reached for a next-generation nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved construction permits for Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant.

The facility will be built at the Heritage Center Industrial Park in Oak Ridge, adjacent to where the

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. Hermes 2 is the first electricity-producing Gen IV plant to be approved for construction in the ******* States according to a release from the company. The facility will include two test reactors, that will use molten salt to cool the reactor cores, and a shared power generation system, the NRC explained.

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“The Commission’s approval of the Hermes 2 construction permits marks an important step toward delivering clean electricity from advanced reactors to support decarbonization,” said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder. “We are proud to lead the industry in advanced reactor licensing and look forward to continued collaboration with the NRC as we chart a path forward with future applications.”

“While keeping safety at the forefront, the permitting process was quite efficient, and we issued these permits in less than 18 months,” said NRC Chair Christopher Hanson. “This shows we can rapidly apply relevant conclusions from earlier reviews to promptly reach decisions on new reactors.”

The first Hermes reactor

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Kairos said it will apply what it has learned from the first reactor to Hermes 2. The first reactor was the first Generation 4 reactor in the U.S. to receive a Nuclear Regulatory Commission construction permit.

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While Hermes 1 is a scaled version of Karios’s fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor, Hermes 2 will “demonstrate complete plant architecture at a reduced scale and supply clean electricity to the grid,” according to the release. The facility is designed to gather important information that will help create a version for producing electricity on a commercial scale.

Before the plant can start operations, Kairos Power will need to apply for an operating license for Hermes 2, which then must be approved by the NRC.

Kairos Power is a

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They specialize in the fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor.

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