Kairos Power gets up to $100M from Samsung group to build nuclear reactor for Google

The cost of developing advanced nuclear reactors is reduced by approximately $100 million through engineering services and an equity investment.

Kairos Power has secured up to $100 million in funding from Samsung C&T, which includes an equity investment and in-kind engineering services. This partnership aims to accelerate the development and construction of Kairos's nuclear reactors, particularly for a deal with Google. Google contracted Kairos in fall 2024 to provide approximately half a gigawatt of electricity by 2035, with the first 50 megawatts to come from the Hermes 2 reactor. Kairos is currently constructing two reactors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Hermes 1, a low-power demonstrator, and Hermes 2, its first commercial-scale reactor. The company received Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval in November 2024 and expects Hermes 2 to begin operation in 2030. Hermes 2 will utilize a fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor design and TRISO nuclear fuel, technologies that have not yet been deployed at commercial scale. Samsung C&T's expertise in nuclear reactor construction is expected to aid Kairos in meeting its ambitious timelines.

This significant investment from Samsung C&T signals growing industry confidence in Kairos Power's advanced nuclear reactor technology and its potential to meet the escalating power demands of AI data centers. The collaboration between Kairos and Samsung C&T, a company with substantial experience in building nuclear reactors, suggests a strategic move to de-risk and expedite the commercialization of novel reactor designs like the fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor. This partnership could set a precedent for future collaborations between nuclear startups and established industrial conglomerates looking to capitalize on the clean energy transition driven by AI.

The deal highlights the critical role that next-generation nuclear power plays in the long-term energy strategies of major tech companies like Google, which are facing unprecedented power consumption challenges. Kairos's focus on advanced fuel and reactor designs, coupled with Samsung's manufacturing and engineering prowess, addresses a key bottleneck in deploying small modular reactors at scale. The success of Hermes 2 will be closely watched as a potential validation of these advanced designs for providing reliable, carbon-free power to energy-intensive industries, potentially influencing future energy procurement decisions across the tech sector.