LUMI EuroHPC data centre project   

In Kajaani, Finland, CSC’s data center solves world-class challenges with a LUMI supercomputer. In the data center project, Paikallis-Sähkö operated as the main electricity contractor. They were responsible for the planning and implementation of the data center’s electricity supply.

The LUMI supercomputer is among the fastest and greenest supercomputers in the world. It consists of around 200 000 cores, with a total power that equals to the processing power of more than 1.5 million average laptops. The instructions in the computer program are executed by the CPU cores, which act as the brain of the computer. The power of a supercomputer is based on the simultaneous operation of these hundreds of thousands of cores, so the power supply must have no disturbances, and there must be no gaps in protection against power failures. A well-designed power supply is therefore essential to the supercomputer’s operation.

In the data center’s power system, a new generation of ultra-fast arc protection was used.

Harri Dyster, Team Manager, Paikallis-Sähkö

Paikallis-Sähkö supplied and installed, among other things, the data center’s electrical switchgear, busbar trunking system and transformers. The data center consists of several different components, such as server racks (cabinets where the CPUs are located), power supply, cooling, and network infrastructure.

– We supplied and installed 10kV switchgear, medium voltage cabling, low voltage distribution transformers (400V & 690V), busbar trunking systems as well as group and main switchboards. Our contract also included the necessary power distribution protection circuits and systems from low voltage to medium voltage, says Harri Dyster, Team Leader of Paikallis-Sähkö.

The unique project started in spring 2020 and came to completion in 2021. It required exceptional professional skills, as the data center project was unlike any normal construction site and the schedule was very tight. Paikallis-Sähkö’s experience in different types of installations was a valuable asset and the project was completed well within the schedule.

New technology is implemented

The LUMI supercomputer is a major step towards Europe’s green transition. The supercomputer project, which has an overall negative carbon footprint, used new kinds of technological solutions.

– In the data center’s power system, a new generation of ultra-fast arc protection was used. The medium-voltage installation, for example, also makes use of digitalisation and intelligent software. With digitalisation, traditional metering transformers have been replaced by sensor technology. This type of instrumentation will become more common due to its numerous advantages such as availability of spare parts, maintainability, and energy efficiency, Dyster describes the technical solutions used in the project.

The data center is located in Kajaani, in the Renforsin Ranta business park, a site that has a very long industrial history. There are now many modern industrial buildings in the area, including CSC’s former supercomputers Mahti and Puhti. To illustrate the vast area’s size, the trucks carrying import deliveries had to be fetched from the gate and led all the way to make sure they didn’t get lost. The project strictly followed specific procedures to ensure work safety.

The LUMI project is organised by CSC (IT Centre for Science Ltd), which develops the national research system as well as integrates and provides IT services in Finland. The project was implemented through a work-sharing arrangement. A-Insinöörit was the project coordinator. Paikallis-Sähkö worked closely with its standard subcontractors, which enabled the project to proceed smoothly. On average, 5 to 10 people from Paikallis-Sähkö were working on the site.

Further information:

LUMI is one of the most powerful and advanced supercomputers in Europe. It is a project funded by the EuroHPC (European High-Performance Computing) initiative, which aims to provide research institutes, universities and businesses with cutting-edge computing power to solve complex scientific problems. The data center project has received funding from the European Union and it involves several national research institutes and universities.