HPE Delivers Olivia, Norway’s Most Powerful SuperComputer to Accelerate National Research and AI Innovation

This investment aligns with Norway’s national strategy for Artificial Intelligence, with the Research Council recommending NOK 3.4 billion ($340 million) in HPC and AI funding over five years to secure expertise, readiness, and security.

Built on HPE Cray EX Supercomputing EX4000 and featuring 504 AMD Turin CPUs, 304 Nvidia Grace Hopper Superchips – which each combine an NVIDIA Grace CPU with an Nvidia Hopper GPU using NVLink-C2C to accelerate giant-scale AI and HPC –  5.3 petabytes of HPE’s Lustre Storage and HPE Slingshot interconnect, the system delivers a 1600% increase in Norway’s national compute capacity while reducing power consumption by 30% compared to its predecessor, Betzy. As of November 2025, Olivia is ranked No. 134 on the list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

“Olivia represents a significant advancement in Norway’s national compute capabilities,” said Kristen Ottestad. “By integrating HPE’s HPC and AI expertise with AMD CPUs and Nvidia Superchips that combine Nvidia CPUs with Nvidia GPUs to deliver exceptional computing power and energy efficiency, the system delivers scalable performance for AI and scientific workloads, supporting Norway’s strategic goals in research, innovation, and AI.”

Energy-Efficient Supercomputing in Norway
Installed in the Lefdal Mine Data Center, Olivia exemplifies a new gen of supercomputing infrastructure designed with energy efficiency at its core. Leveraging Norway’s renewable energy and the unique architecture of the mine, the system operates with minimal environmental impact, reducing carbon emissions and with future plans to reuse that heat to provide warm water for local salmon farms.

Real-World Impact: Accelerating Hydropower Innovation with Olivia
In Norway’s dynamic energy market, where weather-dependent renewables pose new planning challenges, hydropower remains a critical stabilising force. The SINTEF GoHydro project leveraged Olivia’s advanced architecture to dramatically improve energy planning, achieving a 25% boost simply by utilising shared NVIDIA GPU memory. Simulations of hydropower production saw speedups of up to 50x for smaller models and up to 200x for larger ones, enabling faster, more accurate decision-making for producers balancing profitability and regulatory obligations.

“Olivia marks a new chapter for Norwegian research. By combining cutting-edge performance with the unique energy efficiency of the Lefdal Mine Data Center, we’re not only accelerating scientific discovery, we’re doing so responsibly.” said Helge Stranden, senior advisor HPC & Storage, Sigma2. “This system empowers researchers across disciplines to tackle global challenges with sustainable supercomputing at their fingertips.”

Olivia will be available to researchers nationwide, regardless of institutional affiliation, ensuring equitable access to AI and compute resources. From climate modeling and marine science to health and language AI, Olivia empowers Norwegian researchers to tackle complex scientific challenges.

Sigma2’s deployment of Olivia will provide support for national research ambitions and AI innovation. Olivia joins a cohort of supercomputing systems delivered to European organizations, including LUMI (Finland), Alps (Switzerland), and Blue Lion (Germany), supporting national research ambitions and AI innovation through secure, energy-optimized infrastructure.