Kairos Power

Kairos Power was pleased to welcome Sen. Martin Heinrich and staff to our Manufacturing Development Campus last week. The senator got an up-close look at our in-house manufacturing and fuel development facilities, and learned about the central role our Albuquerque campus will play in delivering affordable advanced reactors to enable U.S. energy independence.  Kairos Power has invested more than $125 million to date and hired 140+ full-time employees for our New Mexico operations. We thank Sen. Heinrich for his ongoing support of the state’s innovation ecosystem. We’re proud to be a part of it.

Thank you to the many neighbors and local leaders who joined us last week for Kairos Power’s community meeting at the Wilcox K-25 Interpretive Center in Oak Ridge. Esteemed guests included Roane County Executive Wade Creswell, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch, TVA Senior Vice President Bob Deacy, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Dr. Stephen Streiffer. Chief Technology Officer Edward Blandford presented an update on the company’s construction progress and plans in Oak Ridge, and community members had the opportunity to engage directly with Kairos Power subject-matter experts, who stood ready to answer their questions. Kairos Power prioritizes public engagement and transparent communication as part of our commitment to being a good neighbor in all the locations where we operate. We are grateful for the community’s support as we build on Oak Ridge’s distinguished nuclear legacy, bringing clean electricity to the region and helping shape its future as a hub of American nuclear innovation. ⚛️

Innovative work being done in partnership with Kairos Power and Oak Ridge National Laboratory and their unique capabilities and partners at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. Specialty molds allows Kairos Power to explore pre-cast element designs quickly in order to evaluate cost savings in the overall plant construction sequence early in the process. This rapid prototyping allows for Kairos Power and our constructor to build up cost certainty and confidence in challenging and congested construction work within the reactor building.

The American Nuclear Society Winter Conference brought together leaders from across industry, government, and research to discuss progress and challenges on the path to deploying next-generation nuclear technologies. Kairos Power co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Edward Blandford spoke in the opening plenary session, alongside innovators from Natura Resources, Radiant, and Standard Nuclear, answering the question, “How do we build the nuclear century?” Blandford received an ANS Presidential Citation, recognizing his long-standing technical leadership and contributions to advanced nuclear innovation, which have been foundational to Kairos Power’s mission. Nader Satvat, Director of Nuclear Design and Methods, presented in the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program panel, highlighting Kairos Power’s progress in building the Hermes low-power demonstration reactor. Satvat shared how our iterative, milestone-based development strategy de-risks technology, licensing, manufacturing, and construction as we accelerate toward commercial deployment. Thank you to ANS leadership and President Hash Hashemian for hosting an excellent week of collaboration and dialogue. We are grateful for the opportunity to engage with the nuclear community and share our work on the road to deploying affordable advanced nuclear technology at scale. #ANSWinter2025 #AdvancedNuclear #CleanEnergy #NuclearTechnology #NuclearInnovation #EnergyTransition #EngineeringExcellence #KairosPower 

At Kairos Power, we take quality control seriously, down to the micron level.       The quality control capabilities at our Albuquerque Manufacturing Development Campus are central to this commitment, providing the precise scrutiny needed to ensure high-quality parts and construction as we build the second iteration of our non-nuclear Engineering Test Unit (ETU 2.0).      Inside the QC hub, Kairos Power technicians utilize advanced metrology inspection tools, including a 7-axis articulated arm and laser trackers, to produce high-accuracy scans of complex 3D surfaces. The detailed measurements are compared to CAD models to identify deviations and ensure that every piece of hardware produced or procured for ETU 2.0 meets strict design requirements and tolerances, which are often measured in thousandths of an inch.     From flanges and pipes to more complex components, like the Primary Salt Pump casing, precision measurements in a controlled environment are critical. Why? Because temperature shifts, dust, humidity, and other environmental variables can affect the dimensions of articles being tested.      The QC team inspects welded components using non-destructive testing methods, including radiography, to evaluate the integrity of welds, in combination with advanced measurement tools to confirm their dimensions and check for distortion. The two-fold feedback loop allows our welding team to continuously refine their techniques and improve overall product quality.     Kairos Power’s quality control program gives us reliable data and confidence in our hardware as we work toward producing nuclear-grade components for the fleet. With meticulous attention to detail, robust testing, and a commitment to continuous improvement, our team is delivering high-quality parts to enable the energy solutions of tomorrow. 

A new milestone just in time for Manufacturing Month!    The Kairos Power team has successfully hydrotested and stamped the ASME Section VIII reactor vessel for our second Engineering Test Unit (ETU 2.0). It’s the first U2-stamped vessel to be completed at our Albuquerque Manufacturing Development Campus.  ASME certification confirms that the vessel’s design, materials, and fabrication comply with rigorous quality standards to help ensure its performance, reliability, safety, and regulatory compliance. Kairos Power is the only company in New Mexico certified to produce U2-stamped pressure vessels. These specialty vessels require more in-depth analysis and have more stringent requirements compared to U-stamped vessels, which we also manufacture. The achievement marks a significant step forward in the iterative development of our in-house production capabilities—the culmination of nearly three years of work by teams across the company, from engineering design to procurement, manufacturing, and beyond.  The experience gained from this effort will accelerate the delivery of high-quality vessels for the Hermes reactor series and future deployments, driving down costs and increasing production efficiency, to advance Kairos Power’s clean energy mission. #ManufacturingMonth #NuclearEnergy #AdvancedNuclear #MadeinAmerica 

That’s a wrap! Nuclear Science Week 2025 was our biggest yet, with engagements in multiple states. Kairos Power celebrated the national, week-long event in Albuquerque, N.M., and Oak Ridge, Tenn., with partners at the American Museum of Science and Energy, National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Roane State Community College, the Oak Ridge Chamber Of Commerce, and the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC). Kairos Power volunteers engaged with middle and high school students and teachers in Albuquerque and Oak Ridge, explaining how we’re bringing clean energy to the grid and sharing personal career journeys to inspire the next generation of nuclear professionals. We connected with job seekers at the Roane State career fair and shared insights in a “Nuclear Classroom” panel discussion, highlighting our approach to workforce development and operator training. Later, we hosted visitors at the Hermes reactor construction site during the Oak Ridge “Dirt Tour.” And we participated in Friday evening events at both museums, where Kairos Power leaders updated nuclear-curious audiences on our progress toward building the future of clean energy. Congratulations to the entire Nuclear Science Week team on a successful celebration that invited people across the country to get to know nuclear. Efforts like these are critical to advancing education, stimulating communication, and supporting the deployment of new nuclear technologies. We look forward to next year! ⚛️ #NuclearSciWeek #2025NuclearSciWeek

A key piece of the puzzle for deploying Kairos Power’s advanced reactors at scale is the molten fluoride salt coolant we call “Flibe.”  Originally demonstrated in the 1960s Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Flibe – composed of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride salts – offers high thermal capacity, operates at low pressure, and enables robust, inherent safety. Kairos Power is reviving this remarkable technology for our reactors – and pioneering new methods to produce it. Since our founding in 2016, we’ve been on a journey to establish a robust supply chain, building the infrastructure to make Flibe in-house. We have progressed from early lab tests to an industrial pilot plant. Now, we’re building a commercial-scale salt production facility in Albuquerque, N.M., that will implement a proprietary lithium-enrichment process to make reactor-grade Flibe for the Hermes series and future deployments. This effort helps close a domestic supply chain gap for enriched Lithium-7, while honoring Kairos Power’s mission to protect the environment. Read more on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eXkkpDpU 

Look at that hardware! 🤩     Our second Engineering Test Unit (ETU 2.0) is taking shape at Kairos Power’s Albuquerque Manufacturing Development Campus, helping to optimize primary systems and pilot new innovations that will carry forward to Hermes and future reactors.    With ETU 2.0, we are learning to modularize our reactor technology and making strides in mechanical systems design, surrogate fuel pebble production, component manufacturing, operations, and more.     Here’s a look at our recent progress:     🏗️ The first modular equipment skids are installed in the ETU enclosure, with more under construction. ETU 2.0 will comprise more than 30 skids, which will come together in a fully integrated system, providing a template for the modular Hermes reactor design.     🔧 Building on lessons from ETU 1.0, we have upgraded the Primary Salt Pump, incorporating a permanent magnet motor and vibration sensors to improve performance. The Kairos Power team manufactured, assembled, and tested nearly all the parts in-house, demonstrating the value of vertical integration in expediting timelines, maintaining design flexibility, and ensuring quality control.    ⚫️ Over multiple iterations, our Fuels team has established an automated production line for annular graphite fuel pebbles, demonstrating the processes to mass-produce our proprietary fuel form. The team has fabricated 13,500 of the 50,000 surrogate fuel pebbles needed for ETU 2.0, marking a step change in productivity from the labor-intensive process used in ETU 1.0. Following the ETU 2.0 pebble campaign, we will replicate the production line at Los Alamos National Laboratory to make nuclear fuel for Hermes.    ⚙️ The Kairos Power manufacturing team fabricated the reactor vessel in-house – the largest yet for our ASME-certified vessel shop, and one of 11 U-stamped vessels that we’ve produced for ETU 2.0. Controlling the production of these critical components helps ensure tight specifications and quality control, while keeping to an aggressive timeline.    👨🔧 Our Operations team is building on the lessons learned from ETU 1.0 to develop a more sophisticated operator training program, writing 50+ new operating procedures, performing pre-commissioning testing on critical components, and establishing formal processes that will bolster operational readiness for ETU 2.0 and the Hermes series.    It’s all a testament to the hard work and cross-functional collaboration of our mission-driven team. Together, we’re building the future of nuclear energy, one module at a time.  

We are proud to share that our Albuquerque manufacturing operation has officially earned ISO 9001:2015 certification – with zero findings in our certification audit. This rare accomplishment reflects the strength of Kairos Power’s Quality Management System, the discipline of our processes, and our dedication to continuous improvement.  ISO 9001 is the world’s most recognized standard for quality management. It provides a framework that ensures consistent, high-quality practices across all areas of our manufacturing operations. Earning this certification demonstrates that Kairos Power has the formal, rigorous processes in place to consistently deliver high-quality components and reliably meet customer and regulatory requirements. As part of our Quality Management System, multiple Kairos Power employees were certified as Internal Auditors to conduct regular process audits within our manufacturing program. This cross-functional teamwork has set a strong foundation for systematic best practices, which we’ll iteratively replicate across Kairos Power facilities in other locations. Congratulations to everyone on the team whose unwavering commitment to quality made this achievement possible. 👏👏👏 #ISO9001 #QualityManagement #AdvancedNuclear #Manufacturing