Samsung C&T partners with Kairos Power to tap next-gen SMR market

By Maekyung News Service

Samsung C&T Corp.’s construction division is expanding into the next-generation small modular reactor (SMR) market through a strategic partnership with U.S. nuclear developer Kairos Power LLC.

Samsung C&T said on Tuesday it will sign a memorandum of understanding with Kairos Power to cooperate on the demonstration and commercialization of advanced SMR technology. The agreement is scheduled to be signed on Wednesday in conjunction with a JPMorgan Chase & Co.-hosted event during Climate Week NYC.

Samsung C&T has built its SMR business around conventional light-water reactor technology in European markets such as Sweden and Romania. The partnership will expand its portfolio into advanced non-light-water SMRs, which use coolants such as molten salt or sodium instead of water.

Unlike conventional water-cooled SMRs, which require high-pressure operation to keep water liquid at high temperatures, advanced SMRs can operate at lower pressure while reaching higher temperatures. This can reduce pressure-related equipment requirements while improving safety and efficiency with the high-temperature heat potentially used for industrial applications and hydrogen production as well as power generation.

Founded in 2016, Kairos Power is developing a molten-salt-cooled reactor based on its proprietary Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR) technology.

Under the agreement, Samsung C&T will participate in design and constructability reviews for Kairos Power’s Hermes demonstration reactor under construction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Samsung C&T will also secure priority rights to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for Kairos Power’s planned commercial reactors in the United States.

The company is considering a potential equity investment of up to $70 million in Kairos Power and plans to expand cooperation into nuclear markets in Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

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