HPE Supercomputer to Revolutionize New Zealand Environmental Forecasting with AI

09/21/2025 – 05:00 PM

Earth Sciences New Zealand taps HPE Cray XD2000 system to revolutionize weather forecasting and environmental research.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – In a move poised to significantly enhance weather forecasting and environmental research, Earth Sciences New Zealand has deployed the HPE Cray XD2000 supercomputing system, CNBC has learned. The implementation marks a strategic upgrade for the organization, replacing its aging high-performance computing infrastructure with a solution designed for demanding AI and simulation workloads.

The new system, dubbed Cascade, provides a threefold increase in computational power, enabling researchers to run multiple AI-powered simulations concurrently. This increased capacity is crucial for generating more precise weather predictions and bolstering New Zealand’s resilience against climate-related hazards, including wildfires and flooding. The urgency of such upgrades is underscored by the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events globally, making accurate forecasting a matter of national security and economic stability.

At the heart of Cascade lies AMD’s 4th Gen EPYC processors, known for their performance and efficiency in HPC environments. This processing power is coupled with HPE GreenLake for File Storage, providing a high-performance, simplified storage environment capable of managing 19 petabytes of data. This combination enables faster research cycles, informed decision-making, and more effective crisis management. The selection of HPE GreenLake for File Storage also points to a growing trend in HPC deployments: the adoption of cloud-like services to simplify management and improve scalability.

Furthermore, Cascade incorporates direct liquid cooling (DLC) technology, a critical feature for minimizing energy consumption and water usage. This aspect is particularly important for sustainability, as the data center housing Cascade is powered by 100% renewable energy sources. This aligns with broader industry efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of data centers, which are becoming increasingly energy-intensive due to the growing demands of AI and big data analytics.

“This partnership underscores the transformative potential of combining cutting-edge HPC and AI technologies, ”said Chris Weber, Vice President and Managing Director, South Pacific at HPE. “Earth Sciences New Zealand is now equipped to tackle some of the most pressing environmental challenges, driving scientific discovery and enhancing public safety.”

Industry analysts note that the deployment of Cascade represents a significant commitment to future-proofing New Zealand against climate change impacts. It also positions Earth Sciences New Zealand as a leader in the Asia Pacific region, with the largest implementation of HPE GreenLake for File Storage across HPC and traditional enterprise computing.

Earth Sciences New Zealand’s Chief Scientist – Advanced Technology, Dr. Jess Robertson, emphasized the importance of the upgrade, stating, “This marks a huge leap forward in our ability to understand and predict the environment around us. These advanced technology solutions give us the tools to make smarter and safer decisions with confidence for New Zealand in a changing climate.”

Beyond its forecasting capabilities, Earth Sciences New Zealand also contributes to the country’s low-carbon economy and biodiversity protection, focusing on improving water quality, social equity, and regional development. By leveraging HPE’s expertise in design and liquid cooling, Cascade is engineered to operate at full capacity for extended periods, maximizing scalability and uptime. The system will also utilize real-time data to enable advanced weather forecasting techniques, including nowcasting, which uses AI to rapidly predict short-term, highly-localized weather patterns. This capability supports the integration of solar and wind energy into high-frequency energy markets, as well as emergency response to extreme weather events.

The Bigger Picture: HPC and Climate Modeling

The deployment of Cascade highlights the crucial role of high-performance computing in addressing climate change. Advanced climate models require enormous computational resources to simulate complex atmospheric and oceanic processes. These simulations generate vast amounts of data that must be analyzed to identify trends, predict future scenarios, and inform policy decisions. Investing in HPC infrastructure, therefore, is not just a technological upgrade; it’s a strategic investment in the future.

The HPE Cray XD2000, combined with AMD’s EPYC processors and HPE GreenLake, represents a powerful platform for tackling these challenges. As climate models become more sophisticated, and the volume of data continues to grow exponentially, investment in high-performance computing will remain critical for understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change.