Kairos Power gets up to $100M from Samsung group to build nuclear reactor for Google

techcrunch.com Sep 23, 2026

Kairos Power gets up to $100M from Samsung group to build nuclear reactor for Google

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 23, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Kairos Power announced that Samsung C&T will partner to construct a 50‑megawatt demonstration nuclear reactor for Google, targeting completion by 2030. Samsung will contribute up to $100 million in equity and in‑kind engineering services, with $70 million as a cash equity stake. The collaboration leverages Samsung’s experience on a dozen reactors worldwide. Kairos, already building two reactors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee—Hermes 1 (a low‑power test unit) and Hermes 2 (its first commercial‑scale plant)—will deliver the first 50 MW of power under its 2024 Google contract. Hermes 2 will be a fluoride‑salt‑cooled high‑temperature reactor using TRISO fuel, a design never before commercialized. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the project in late 2024, and Kairos aims to begin operations on Hermes 2 in 2030. Samsung’s involvement is expected to accelerate schedule and reduce risk.

💡 Why It Matters

· Google’s commitment to a dedicated 50 MW nuclear source underscores data‑center operators’ shift toward carbon‑free baseload power, accelerating commercial deployment of advanced reactor designs.

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HD Hyundai Heavy to Invest 1 Trillion Won in Ulsan Power Engine,…

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD Hyundai) announced an investment exceeding 1 trillion won (about $720 million) to build two new production facilities in Ulsan, South Korea. One plant will manufacture the company’s HiMSEN power‑generation engines, targeting a 3‑gigawatt capacity for emergency generators and distributed power systems driven by the rapid expansion of artificial‑intelligence data centers. The second facility will produce core components for small modular reactors (SMRs), positioning Ulsan as a hub for next‑generation nuclear technology. Construction is slated to start in the first half of next year, with the engine line located in Onsan‑eup, Ulju‑gun, and the SMR component plant in Dong‑gu. The city government will expedite permits and support local suppliers, while HD Hyundai pledges to prioritize hiring Ulsan residents.

💡 The dual‑track investment locks Ulsan into the emerging AI‑driven power market and the global SMR supply chain, giving South Korea a strategic foothold in two fast‑growing energy sectors.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 22

Norway’s Electric Ferries Could Find a Big Market in the Philippines

A four‑day study tour by Philippine maritime officials to Norway followed the 2025 Norway‑Philippines Electric Ferries Conference, where Norwegian companies and Philippine agencies explored electric and hybrid ferry technology. The delegation visited operating electric ferries, met operators, and examined Norway’s decade‑long experience, which includes 180 vessels on 100 routes. The trip produced a partnership to prototype an electric‑hybrid ferry under the EU‑supported TrAM project, aiming to tailor solutions to the Philippines’ diverse waterway needs.

💡 The collaboration could accelerate the Philippines’ shift to low‑emission maritime transport, offering a tested Norwegian model adapted to local conditions.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 21

DNV’s 2050 Fuel Forecast Leaves Out Electrification

DNV’s 2050 Maritime Forecast projects that international ships above 400 gross tonnes will need roughly 185 million tonnes of oil equivalent of low‑GHG fuel, equating to about 7.7–7.8 exajoules. The report acknowledges that shore power, plug‑in hybrids, and fully electric vessels could further cut fuel demand, yet these electrification pathways are excluded from the headline calculation. DNV notes over 1,500 battery‑equipped vessels in operation and 371 on order, primarily ferries, but remains cautious about large‑scale battery propulsion.

💡 The forecast underscores the scale of future low‑carbon fuel markets while revealing a methodological gap that could overstate demand. Recognizing electrification’s exclusion highlights the need for integrated modeling to guide investment and policy toward realistic decarbonization pathways.

us.headtopics.com · Sep 21

Perovskite-silicon solar cell hits 34% efficiency, record-level voltage

Researchers at Soochow University and LONGi Central R&D Institute achieved a record 2.014 V open‑circuit voltage and 34.0 % laboratory efficiency in a perovskite‑silicon tandem solar cell. The breakthrough stems from an ultra‑thin scaffold of monoclinic zirconia nanoparticles placed between the conductive oxide and a molecular monolayer, which smooths the perovskite layer, suppresses non‑radiative recombination, and preserves efficient hole extraction. The device maintained 84 % of its initial efficiency after 2,000 hours of continuous simulated sunlight, demonstrating both high performance and durability.

💡 This advance shows that nanoscale interface engineering can overcome long‑standing barriers in tandem photovoltaics, bringing commercial viability closer for high‑efficiency solar panels.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 19

Canada Haunts Trump With New Offshore Wind Project

Canada’s Nova Scotia province has announced plans for a 5‑gigawatt offshore wind project, Wind West, which would generate 24 terawatt‑hours annually—double the province’s current peak demand. The initiative, part of a broader Eastern Energy Partnership, aims to tap the region’s 9‑11 m/s wind speeds and could supply up to a quarter of Canada’s electricity needs. The project has attracted U.S. interest, with Massachusetts and Nova Scotia officials signing a memorandum to share clean energy and create jobs across the North Atlantic.

💡 The venture positions Canada as a major clean‑energy exporter to the U.S., reshaping regional power dynamics and offering a high‑capacity, low‑emission alternative to fossil fuels.

batteriesnews.com · Sep 19

Mitsui Kinzoku Partners with Factorial to Scale All-Solid-State Battery Manufacturing

Mitsui Kinzoku Company, a leading producer of sulfide‑based solid electrolytes and ultra‑thin copper foil, has signed a joint development agreement with Factorial Energy Inc. to industrialize Factorial’s Solstice™ all‑solid‑state battery platform. The partnership leverages Mitsui Kinzoku’s A‑SOLiD™ electrolyte technology, which is moving toward mass production at a new plant in Saitama, Japan, and Factorial’s expertise in cell design, process development, supply‑chain qualification, line integration and manufacturing validation. Both firms aim to accelerate the scale‑up of next‑generation batteries that could power an electrified society. The collaboration positions Solstice™ at the forefront of the global push to commercialize all‑solid‑state batteries, combining materials science depth with advanced battery engineering.

💡 By uniting rare electrolyte expertise with end‑to‑end battery development, the alliance could fast‑track the first large‑scale deployment of solid‑state batteries, a technology long touted for higher energy density and safety.