Kairos Power has brought Samsung Construction and Trading (Samsung C&T) into its engineering, procurement and construction team as it works towards operating a 50-megawatt advanced nuclear demonstration plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, by 2030.
Under the binding agreement announced Monday, Samsung C&T will invest in Kairos Power and provide engineering services worth up to $100 million. The company will initially support engineering and construction work for power-generation systems and other equipment outside the reactor’s main nuclear area.
The partnership supports Kairos Power’s plans to develop advanced nuclear technology for Google. In 2024, Google agreed to purchase around 500 megawatts of nuclear power from Kairos by 2035 as electricity demand from AI data centres continues to increase.
Kairos began construction of its Hermes 2 demonstration plant in April 2026 after receiving a construction permit from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December 2024. The facility will generate 50 megawatts of electricity and connect to the power grid.
Hermes 2 will demonstrate Kairos Power’s KP-FHR technology, a fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor design. The project is intended to help the company address technical, licensing, manufacturing and construction challenges before moving towards larger commercial plants.
“Samsung C&T’s investment and partnership reinforce the disciplined delivery model at the core of our commercialization strategy,” said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos Power.
The reactor will use fluoride salt as a coolant, allowing operation at lower pressures than conventional water-cooled nuclear systems. It will also use TRISO fuel, which contains uranium particles enclosed in multiple ceramic and carbon layers designed to improve fuel performance and retain radioactive materials under extreme conditions.
Kairos is also developing the smaller Hermes 1 reactor at the same site to test and refine its commercial design. Electricity generated through the Hermes programme will count towards the first 50 megawatts covered under Kairos Power’s agreement with Google.
Samsung C&T has experience in large construction projects and has contributed to around a dozen nuclear reactors worldwide. Its involvement is expected to strengthen Kairos Power’s project execution capabilities as the company prepares for future KP-FHR deployments.
“Our integrated EPC team brings together the complementary technology, engineering, manufacturing, and project-delivery capabilities needed to advance Hermes 2 and establish a foundation for broad deployment of KP-FHR technology,” said Ed Blandford, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Kairos Power.
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