HPE Refurbishes Hawk Supercomputer at Stuttgart's HLRS to Reduce E-Waste and CO2 Emissions
The Hawk supercomputer has been dismantled at the High-Performance Computing Center of the University of Stuttgart (HLRS). Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) will refurbish and resell the components, preventing approximately 13.7 tons of e-waste and 2,800 tons of CO2 emissions.
The refurbished market for IT equipment is expanding, driven by sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Hawk, operational since 2020 and Europe's fastest supercomputer at that time, was replaced by the Hunter supercomputer in late 2024.
HPE identified multiple buyers for various Hawk components, including a space company needing spare parts. The dismantling occurred in phases, with one-third of the server nodes sent to HPE's refurbishment center in Erskine, Scotland, in summer 2024. Over 90% of Hawk's infrastructure received a second life through refurbishment, enhancing environmental impact and providing economic benefits compared to traditional recycling.
