Eni takes a new leap in the computing power with the operational start of HPC7 (High Performance Computing), the supercomputer which, with over 861 PFlops/s of peak capacity, ranks at the sixth place in the TOP500 world ranking and becomes the second most powerful system in Europe, as well as confirming itself as the most powerful industrial-use supercomputer in the world.
Eni, HPC7 and HPC6: Crossing the Exascale Threshold
The launch of HPC7 also represents an evolutionary step compared to HPC6, operational since November 2024 and already entered the global TOP10 (eighth place). The two systems, together, today define an integrated computing ecosystem that crosses the Exascale threshold, reaching an overall capacity greater than 1 Exaflop/s, equivalent to over a trillion billion mathematical operations per second. In technical terms, HPC6 contributes approximately 477 PFlops/s sustained and 606 peak, while HPC7 adds 571 PFlops/s sustained and 861 peak, bringing the combined capacity to approximately 1.048 PFlops/s sustained and 1.467 peak.
From a technological point of view, HPC7 is based on ahybrid CPU-GPU architecture, today among the most advanced in the global supercomputing landscape. The system is composed of over 3.400 computing nodes and integrates almost 14 GPUs, a configuration designed to maximize computational power while maintaining ahigh energy efficiencyThis architecture enables the execution of extremely complex simulations, typical of advanced industrial models and computationally intensive scientific applications.
From Oil Fields to AI: How HPC7 Is Changing the Energy Industry
The introduction of HPC7 represents a key step in Eni's digital and industrial transformation strategy, which uses supercomputing as a lever to accelerate the energy transition and improve the efficiency of your processes. Simulation capabilities allow you to delve deeper into the knowledge of the subsoil, optimize energy research and production and make geological and fluid dynamic models more accurate, also used in the development of CO₂ storage systems.
The role of supercomputing also extends to new energy supply chains and emerging sectors, such as the development of biofuels, where advanced modeling allows to accelerate research and reduce development times. Similarly, HPC7 allows to tackle extremely complex simulations, such as those relating to the behavior of the plasma in magnetic confinement fusion, one of the most advanced fronts of global energy research.
Another central element concerns the integration with theartificial intelligenceEni's HPC infrastructure becomes a strategic enabler for the development of AI applications dedicated to the group's various businesses, improving predictive capabilities, process optimization, and analysis of complex scenarios on a large scale.
Green Data Center and sustainability
HPC7 is hosted inside the Eni's Green Data Center, a facility designed to combine computing power and energy efficiency. The data center uses advanced liquid cooling systems and infrastructure solutions, making it one of the most energy-efficient and emissions-efficient hubs in Europe.
Even on the efficiency front, HPC7 achieved a significant result in the Green500 ranking, dedicated to the most energy-efficient supercomputers, reaching a value of 65,426 GFlops/W, which places it in eleventh place worldwide and first place among the machines in its category.
In addition to its technological and industrial dimension, the HPC system also represents an open innovation platform for Eni. The ecosystem built around supercomputers has already demonstrated, with HPC6, its ability to attract external expertise and projects through initiatives such as Call4Innovators, strengthening the company's role as a digital innovation hub beyond the energy sector.
Comments
“The transition towards increasingly safe, accessible and clean energy from traditional and renewable sources cannot ignore a profound technological evolution,” declared Eni's CEO, Claudio Descalzi "The adoption of supercomputing and predictive technologies within every activity is fundamental to the development of new energy solutions, to reduce emissions, maximize efficiency in research and production, and generate value. In this context, the extremely rapid construction and commissioning of HPC7, even faster than HPC6, which was already a benchmark, represents a concrete example of our ability to execute: the result of the skills, commitment, and quality of our operational teams. This robust digital ecosystem, developed thanks to talent, collaboration, and internal research, not only accelerates our journey to Net Zero, but also consolidates our strategic positioning and competitive advantage in the market."
