US-based Kairos Power is expanding its operations in New Mexico to build three facilities and create 100 jobs. Kairos Power is headquartered in Alameda, California and initially expanded to Albuquerque’s Mesa del Sol community in 2019 to establish its research and development engineering centre for the commercialisation of its advanced reactor technology. Kairo also has facilities in Oak Ridge (Tennessee) and Charlotte (North Carolina).
In February, Kairos signed a technology investment agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to put into effect the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ADRP) risk reduction award, the company received in 2020. DOE will provide up to $303m on a performance-based, fixed-price milestone basis to enable the design, construction, and commissioning of the company’s Hermes demonstration reactor. A construction permit for the reactor was issued by the. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in December 2023.
The Hermes design is for a 35 MWt non-power version of the company’s fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor, the KP-HFR. Kairos has also submitted a construction permit application for Hermes 2, a proposed two-unit demonstration plant that would build on the experience of Hermes and would produce electricity and demonstrate the complete architecture of future commercial plants. Kaoros says the Hermes demonstration reactors will help to mitigate technology, licensing, supply chain, and construction risk to achieve cost certainty for KP-HFR technology. Kairos is targeting commercial deployments in the early 2030s. Hermes is to be built at Oak Ridge.
Kairos is conducting salt operations at its first engineering test unit (ETU) in New Mexico. The ETU is a non-nuclear, full-scale mock-up of Hermes that will demonstrate key systems and components of the reactor, test the supply chain, and allow workers to gain operational experience. Kairos will build and operate a total of three ETU iterations before constructing Hermes.
Kairos now plans to construct a salt production facility to produce high-purity molten salt coolant for advanced reactors at its Albuquerque campus alongside a TRISO Development Lab, where it will optimise fuel manufacturing techniques to be implemented in a new space the company is building at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Low-Enriched Fuel Fabrication Facility. The salt coolant and TRISO (TRI-structural ISOtropic) fuel produced in these facilities will go into the Hermes demonstration reactor under construction in Tennessee. At no time will any special nuclear material be on-site at the Albuquerque facility.
Based on a state analysis, the project will generate an estimated total economic impact of up to $478m for New Mexico over the next 10 years. The company plans to hire technicians, operators, fabricators, machinists, engineers, and more with an average salary of over $100,000. Additionally, the company has an internship programme that works with the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) for future employees.
The New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) has committed $3m in Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) funding for the project. Kairos Power will also be eligible for New Mexico’s High Wage Jobs Tax Credit and Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit. Additionally, the project will receive $1.8m in Job Training Incentive Programme (JTIP) funding to train 100 new employees.
“Kairos Power is pleased to continue growing our presence in New Mexico and contribute to the local ecosystem of clean energy innovation,” said Kairos Power CEO and co-founder Mike Laufer. “The infrastructure and capabilities we are investing in here are critically important to our long-term commercial strategy and will enable the delivery of a safe, reliable, and affordable technology, starting with the Hermes demonstration reactor.”
“The New Mexico Economic Development Department is proud to support this innovative company so that we can bring more high-wage jobs to the state. Additionally, this type of technology greatly reduces water consumption and is wonderful for arid regions looking for clean energy,” said New Mexico Economic Development Department Secretary Rob Black.
“Kairos Power’s expansion is a big win for Albuquerque,” City of Albuquerque Economic Development Director Max Gruner said. “This project is a prime example of how public-private collaboration can fuel economic growth and innovation.” The City of Albuquerque Economic Development Department has committed $500,000 through its LEDA fund and will serve as the fiscal agent for the state’s funding. Kairos Power has applied for an Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB), which will result in a company investment of more than $269m in building and equipment purchases. All incentives are pending approval by the Albuquerque City Council.
New Mexico has a long history in innovative nuclear energy development and Kairos Power selected a location less than ten minutes from the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. Additionally, the state allows Kairos to be in close proximity to two national laboratories, key universities with robust nuclear engineering departments, and the opportunity to revitalise an existing industrial facility previously used for advanced energy manufacturing.
Researched and written by Judith Perera
