Samsung C&T has agreed to provide up to USD100 million through a combination of direct investment and in-kind engineering services, subject to regulatory approvals, to enable the successful delivery of the Hermes 2 demonstration plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The investment will further strengthen Kairos Power’s financial readiness as the company advances Hermes 2 and prepares for broader commercial deployment of its fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) technology.
In addition, Samsung C&T has agreed to join Kairos Power’s integrated engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) team alongside other partners, providing expertise and capabilities to support the delivery of Hermes 2 and future KP-FHR plants. The companies plan to collaborate on selected engineering and construction activities to strengthen technical and execution readiness, initially focused on power-generation systems and balance-of-plant scope. Kairos Power plans to lead reactor technology, engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and construction for the nuclear island, while Samsung C&T has agreed to support selected engineering and construction activities, initially focused on power-generation systems and the balance of plant.
The agreement builds on a trilateral memorandum of understanding signed by Samsung C&T, Kairos Power, and Barnard Construction on 18 August, aimed at establishing an early framework for reliable project execution.
Through this agreement, Samsung C&T said it will participate in key tasks such as the design and constructability review of the Hermes demonstration reactor, and has secured priority rights to perform EPC for the commercial reactor that Kairos Power plans to build in the USA. In addition, the two companies have agreed to jointly identify various business opportunities in global nuclear power markets, including South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe, and to expand the scope of cooperation.
“Samsung C&T’s investment and partnership reinforce the disciplined delivery model at the core of our commercialisation strategy,” said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos Power. “We look forward to working with the Samsung C&T team to strengthen the integrated capabilities needed to deliver high-quality advanced reactors to customers with greater cost and schedule certainty.”
Ed Blandford, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Kairos Power, added: “Deploying advanced nuclear energy at commercial scale requires strong, capable partners across the full project lifecycle. 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.”
Kairos Power received construction permits from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the Hermes 2 plant in December 2024 and broke ground in Oak Ridge in April 2026. The grid-connected, 50 MWe reactor aims to demonstrate KP-FHR technology at a relevant scale to mitigate technical, licensing, manufacturing, and construction uncertainty for the full-size commercial plants that will follow it.
Samsung C&T has delivered 12 GW of nuclear generating capacity across 10 reactors, including the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE and units 5 and 6 at the Shin Hanul plant in South Korea. The company has also undertaken nuclear power plant refurbishment work and front-end engineering and design for small modular reactors (SMRs), including partnerships supporting SMR development projects in Romania, Estonia, Sweden, and Poland.
Lee Chang-wook, Head of Energy Solutions at Samsung C&T, said, “This agreement will be an important milestone for leading the next-generation nuclear power market. Through close cooperation with Kairos Power, we plan to not only successfully carry out the SMR demonstration project but also create various business opportunities in the global commercialisation market.”
