Eni launches new supercomputer HPC6 that ranks No.5. in the TOP500 list

Eni has announced the completion and launch of its new supercomputing system, HPC6 (High Performance Computing), which offers a substantial increase in computational power, reaching a peak of 606 PFlop/s—equivalent to over 600 quadrillion mathematical operations per second. HPC6 debuted at No. 5 in the latest TOP500 list of supercomputers (released on November 18, 2024). This achievement positions HPC6 as the top supercomputer in Europe, the world's first industrial-use supercomputer, and the only non-U.S. system among the top 5 globally.

The launch of HPC6 is a key milestone in Eni’s decarbonization strategy, where cutting-edge technology and innovation are central to creating value and driving new business opportunities linked to the energy transition.

For years, Eni has been utilizing supercomputing to optimize industrial plant operations, improve the precision of geological and fluid dynamics studies for CO2 storage, enhance battery efficiency, streamline the biofuel supply chain, and develop innovative materials for biochemistry applications. The company has also applied supercomputing to simulate plasma behavior in magnetic confinement fusion. With the launch of HPC6, which provides substantial computing power, Eni will further accelerate its transformation, enabling the discovery of innovative, scalable, and economically sustainable solutions. This will also speed up the development of new, high-potential businesses related to the energy transition.

The availability of such powerful computing resources, like HPC6, strengthens Eni’s collaborations with its satellite companies and will play a crucial role in forming new partnerships. Eni has long positioned technology and innovation at the core of its strategy, being one of the first companies globally to invest in high-performance computing for industrial applications. In recent years, the company has increasingly applied its computing research to its energy transition efforts.

Eni’s CEO stated, Claudio Descalzi: “Innovation and the constant evolution of technologies are fundamental to maintaining and strengthening Eni's leadership in the energy transition. Technological advancements allow us to use energy more efficiently by reducing emissions and promoting the development of new energy solutions. We have integrated supercomputing throughout our entire business chain, transforming it into an indispensable lever for achieving Net Zero and creating value. Eni has developed a unique heritage of technological knowledge and programming that gives us a competitive advantage on the international stage and supports the speed of our transformation while simultaneously driving our growth.”

Eni’s new HPC system, HPC6, represents a significant leap in computational power, increasing from the 70 PFlop/s of HPC4 and HPC5 to over 600 peak PFlop/s. This marks an order-of-magnitude improvement in computing capacity. Built on cutting-edge architecture similar to the world’s most powerful systems, HPC6 combines CPUs and GPUs in a hybrid configuration, featuring more than 3,400 compute nodes and nearly 14,000 GPUs, optimizing both computational performance and energy efficiency.

HPC6 is housed in a dedicated section of Eni's Green Data Center, one of the most energy-efficient data centers in Europe, recognized for its low carbon footprint. The center's primary objectives are operational efficiency and minimizing environmental impact, with sustainability at its core. This is achieved through the implementation of an innovative liquid cooling system that enhances energy efficiency by optimizing heat absorption from the new machine. Eni’s Green Data Center in Ferrera Erbognone, near Milan, integrates skills, technologies, and business lines to support the energy transition, operating as a globally advanced energy center.

With the deployment of HPC6, Eni solidifies its leadership in high-performance computing for industrial applications and reaffirms its position as a technology-driven company committed to supporting the energy transition.