Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Construction Permit for Hermes Demonstration Reactor - Kairos Power

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Construction Permit for Hermes Demonstration Reactor - Kairos Power: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION APPROVES CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR HERMES DEMONSTRATION REACTOR OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – December 12, 2023 – The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has voted to issue a construction permit to Kairos Power for the Hermes demonstration reactor to be built at the Heritage Center Industrial Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A critical step on Kairos Power’s iterative pathway to commercializing its advanced reactor technology, the Hermes reactor will demonstrate the company’s ability to deliver clean, safe, and affordable nuclear heat. The Commission’s vote to issue the Hermes construction permit follows the NRC staff’s thorough review of the application, which was completed well ahead of an already aggressive projected schedule. This efficient review was possible due to Kairos Power’s extensive pre-application engagement with the NRC, which began in 2018 and established open lines of communication between the two organizations. During the NRC’s mandatory hearing in October 2023, Commissioner Wright commended the engagement between Kairos Power, the NRC staff, and the local Oak Ridge community throughout the application review process. “Kair