QST Rokkasho Fusion Energy Research Center Unveils New Supercomputer

Home > Industry > R&D > QST Rokkasho Fusion Energy Research Center Unveils New Supercomputer

On July 27, the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) and the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) Rokkasho Fusion Energy Research Center publicly unveiled a newly procured supercomputer system, jointly acquired by the two institutions. By integrating the supercomputers previously owned by each organization and procuring a system together, they have introduced a higher-performance machine capable of 4.44 quadrillion calculations per second.

The system, installed at the QST Rokkasho Fusion Energy Research Center, has been in operation since July 1 and is jointly managed by NIFS and QST. Manufactured by NEC, the supercomputer offers 2.7 times the computing power of its predecessor. At the time of the order announcement on December 13 last year, NEC disclosed the contract value as 4.5 billion yen—the largest in the company’s history for such a system.

The new supercomputer will be used for a wide range of research toward the realization of fusion energy. Applications include predicting experimental outcomes and developing operational scenarios for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and Japan’s JT-60SA tokamak facility.

Significant improvements in computing speed will also enable simulations of complex phenomena such as fusion plasmas, with potential applications in real-time control during planned experiments. Furthermore, the system will be remotely accessible to domestic universities and research institutions, and will support related astrophysical studies as well.