LUMI Supercomputer: Fire Protection for One of Europe’s Most Powerful Computers

Project Overview: LUMI Data Centre in Finland (CSC Kajaani)

The LUMI data centre is located in Kajaani, a city in northeastern Finland. It is operated by CSC – IT Center for Science, the Finnish centre for scientific computing. LUMI stands for “Large Unified Modern Infrastructure” and serves research institutions, universities, and industry partners from across Europe as a platform for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence applications.

Typical areas of application include climate modeling, pharmaceutical research, and materials science – in which computing jobs can take hours or even days, and any interruption can result in significant data loss.

This results in clear requirements for fire protection: high density of IT hardware, intense airflow from cooling systems, continuous 24/7 operation, and very low tolerance for outages or false alarms.

Challenge: Fire Protection in a High-Performance Data Centre

In a data centre like LUMI, traditional fire detection technology is often insufficient to achieve the required level of protection. The reasons are specific to the environment:
Fires in server rooms often start in very early stages – for example, due to overheated cable insulation or smoldering spots on circuit boards. Visible smoke or flames do not appear until much later. In many cases, point detectors on the ceiling cannot detect these fine smoke particles in time.

Added to this is the airflow: cold aisle containment and high air exchange rates, which are necessary for cooling the systems, dilute the smoke and divert it. This further complicates detection.

At the same time, false alarms pose a serious operational risk. Every false alarm can trigger an automatic fire suppression system or a system shutdown – with direct consequences for ongoing computing processes and availability.

The requirements for the fire protection concept for LUMI can be summarised as follows:

• Detection as early as possible – even before smoke becomes visible to the naked eye
• High availability and redundancy – no single point of failure in the reporting chain
• Clear alarm logic – graduated alarm thresholds instead of immediate full activation
• Safe, coordinated fire suppression activation – coordinated with shutdowns and building functions
• Maintenance and serviceability during operation – without planned system shutdowns

How do you protect a data centre of this magnitude – and what technology is behind it?

Solution: Early Fire Detection and Suppression Concept for LUMI 

Fire Alarm System as the Central Control Level

Schrack Seconet provided the fire alarm system for the LUMI project. The fire alarm control panel serves as the central control level for the entire fire protection concept: It receives signals from the fire detectors, processes them according to defined alarm logic, and controls the interfaces to suppression systems, ventilation technology, and other building services.

In the context of a high-performance data center, this control level is particularly relevant because multiple systems from different manufacturers must work together reliably. The fire alarm system handles the coordination – from initial detection through staged alarms to the targeted activation of the fire suppression system.

Integrated Alarm Cascade and Control Logic

Detection alone is not enough. What matters is how detection, alarm, and control work together. In the LUMI project, the fire alarm system was configured to map out a clear alarm cascade:

      1. Pre-alarm: First warning threshold – the operations team is notified, can verify the situation, and take action.
      2. Main alarm: Confirmed detection – automatic alerting and defined follow-up processes are triggered.

The fire alarm control panel not only controls the alarm system but also interfaces with building services functions and the fire suppression system. This ensures that power shutdowns, ventilation control, and fire suppression activation occur in the correct sequence and without conflicts.
 

Extinguishing Concept: Inert Gas in the Server Room, Sprinklers in the Outer Areas

An inert gas suppression system was installed for the LUMI server rooms. Gas suppression is the preferred suppression technology in data centres because it leaves no residue: Unlike water or powder, the suppression gas leaves no residue that could damage sensitive hardware.

In addition, water sprinkler systems protect the outer and ancillary areas of the data centre – that is, rooms that do not contain sensitive IT hardware and where conventional fire suppression methods are sufficient.

This hybrid concept – inert gas for critical IT areas, sprinklers for the remaining spaces – is a proven approach in data centres. There, highly sensitive particle sensors analyse the air sample for smoke components. 

Planning detection and suppression as an integrated system is particularly crucial for critical infrastructure. Details on the functionality and safety logic of gas suppression systems can be found under Gas Suppression System in the Server Room.

Result: Protection of Availability, People, and Infrastructure

The fire protection concept for the LUMI data centre demonstrates how detection, alarm, and suppression can work together in a critical infrastructure. The results can be categorised along three dimensions:

1. Coordinated Detection – more response time
The multi-stage alarm cascade gives the operations team valuable minutes to take targeted measures before automatic suppression processes are initiated.

2. Operational Reliability – minimised risk of failure
The integrated control logic ensures an appropriate response to a fire – without unnecessary shutdowns caused by false alarms.

3. Maintainability – Service During Operation
The zone-based design allows for maintenance and testing of individual areas without disrupting overall operations.

Schrack Seconet supported this project as a technology partner – from system design through to commissioning. The experience gained from the LUMI project confirms three principles that generally apply to fire protection in data centres:

• The fire alarm system must reliably coordinate all involved systems as a central control level.
• Detection and suppression must be planned and coordinated as an integrated system.
• Availability requirements determine the entire fire protection concept – from sensor technology to maintenance planning.

Context & Further Information

The LUMI project is an example of how fire protection is implemented in a high-performance data centre. If you would like to explore the topic in greater depth, you can find further resources here:

• Fire Protection in Data Centers – Fundamentals & Best Practices – Overview of Requirements, Standards, and Concepts
• Early fire detection in the server room – Why detection works differently in a data centre
• Gas Extinguishing System in the Server Room – How it Works, Planning, and Safety Aspects