LUMI is the most energy efficient and ecological supercomputer in the world

EuroHPC’s multi-award-winning LUMI supercomputer reached full production capacity late in 2023. LUMI was initially commissioned two years ago at CSC’s new data center in Kajaani, Finland. This enabled the latest possible technology to be used in the supercomputer.

“Supercomputers are developing at such breakneck speed that LUMI’s computing power doubled between its planned launch and commissioning,” says Jaakko Nuottimäki, Senior Consultant, Granlund.

During the commissioning years, advances were also made in the data center’s MEP solutions. According to Nuottimäki, it is natural for the data center design to go through changes with the development of the supercomputer.

“To begin with, we designed LUMI’s cooling connections and electrical connections to be flexible, which enabled us to start the design process more than six months before the exact details of the computer were confirmed.”

Northern Finland is the promised land of data centers

The data center, nearly the size of two tennis courts, is extremely powerful. Still, in the cool climate of the North, the supercomputer does not require cold compressors. Cooling is implemented through free cooling straight into the outdoor air.

“Compared to Southern European countries, it saves up to 20% of electrical energy and clearly reduces the operating costs,” says Ilari Kauppi, Lead HVAC Engineer, Granlund.

Approximately 80% of waste heat can be transferred to the regional district heating network, which in and of itself is a major asset for data centers located in Finland.

Ilari Kauppi, Lead HVAC Engineer, Granlund

According to Kauppi, LUMI represents the cutting edge of global data center design. Direct liquid cooling and waste heat recovery in data centers are real megatrends, especially in the field of HPC.

“Approximately 80% of waste heat can be transferred to the regional district heating network, which in and of itself is a major asset for data centers located in Finland.”

Part of the reason for LUMI’s eco-friendliness is Finland’s data center legislation. The law sets criteria both for the energy efficiency of data centers and the utilisation of waste heat (the ERE indicator). The legislation is strict and, according to Kauppi, LUMI is the only data center in Finland that meets both criteria.

Reliable and lifecycle sustainable data center

The LUMI data center is extremely reliable and low-carbon as the building itself as well as the surrounding infrastructure were initially designed for industrial use. The hydroelectric power station of the old paper mill ensures the supply of electricity even in exceptional circumstances and all of the new MEP was inspected during the two-month-long commissioning process.

“We played out different scenarios for each automatic component,” says Nuottimäki.

There are double the number of critical sensors, pumps and valves, which increases fault tolerance. The level of lifecycle sustainability is also high. A supercomputer only has a lifespan of roughly five years, but the surrounding technology lasts from one supercomputer generation to the next.

“The data center infrastructure is not disposable; it can be scaled and reused as a platform for future supercomputer generations,” says Kauppi.

Despite the ambitious goals and additional work, the project cost slightly less than its original budget

Jaakko Nuottimäki, Senior Consultant, Granlund

AV technology lends the data center a Nordic feel

Synopsis Architects designed LUMI’s award-winning expression of form, which came to life in the hands of Granlund’s lighting designers and audio visual designers. Lighting and video projectors bring the northern nature inside the data center.

“One of the effects is a wolf running on the supercomputer’s surfaces, which creates a stunning experience for international visitors,” says Nuottimäki.

You would expect nothing less from the first collectively implemented data center in Europe. The 10-country consortium in charge of operating LUMI also manages the project costs.

“Despite the ambitious goals and additional work, the project cost slightly less than its original budget,” says Nuottimäki.

Want to hear more?

Ilari Kauppi

Leading expert, Data Centers

Granlund Oy

+358 50 390 1543

firstname.lastname@granlund.fi

Jaakko Nuottimäki

Senior Consultant, Data Centers

Granlund Oy

050 090 7070

firstname.lastname@granlund.fi