Japan will launch the world’s most powerful nuclear fusion research supercomputer

According to top500 media reports, Japan plans to officially launch a Cray XC50 supercomputer for advanced nuclear fusion research this year. Although its performance is not number one in the supercomputer rankings, it is still the most advanced among computers used in nuclear fusion research. With the generous help of the National Institute of Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, this supercomputer will be installed in the Institute of Nuclear Fusion in the Rokkasho, Japan, and will be used for local nuclear fusion science experiments.

By Argonne National Laboratory’s Flickr page [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

In addition, Cray XC50 will also provide research support for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER / a large multinational fusion project led by the EU). Thousands of researchers from Japan and other countries can use this system, mainly plasma physics and fusion energy calculations.

While looking at the new supercomputer, Japan has compared the old Helios system that has been retired. After all, in 2012, it was ranked 15th in the supercomputer performance rankings. Currently, Japan has not yet named its latest supercomputer, and it is not the best Cray XC50 system.

According to the November 2017 rankings, Switzerland has the third-best-performing supercomputer in the world, and it also operates on the Cray XC50 system. The commercialization of fusion energy still has a long way to go. ITER plans to put into use the first plasma reactor in 2035, which will cost billions of dollars in investment.