Rorqual: A Supercomputer Welcomed by the Research Community
Montreal, June 18, 2025 – Calcul Québec is proud to announce the launch of Rorqual, a new supercomputer fully dedicated to scientific research. Now available to the Canadian research community, Rorqual can support a wide range of projects, from artificial intelligence and health to environmental science and the humanities.
“The name Rorqual refers to the humpback whale, which can be spotted in the St. Lawrence Estuary. It continues our tradition of naming and illustrating our supercomputers after iconic cetaceans, following Béluga and Narval,” explains Suzanne Talon, Executive Director of Calcul Québec.
With 137,000 CPU cores, 587 TB of RAM, and 69 PB of disk storage, Rorqual was designed to meet the computational needs of the scientific community. It is also equipped with 324 state-of-the-art graphic processing units (GPUs), particularly suited for artificial intelligence, modeling, and large-scale data processing. As the Béluga supercomputer nears the end of its lifecycle, Rorqual ensures the continuity and renewal of this essential infrastructure.
“Our government is proud to provide research teams with cutting-edge infrastructure to help meet their evolving needs. I congratulate Calcul Québec on the launch of its new supercomputer, which further strengthens Quebec’s leadership in this strategic domain,” said Christopher Skeete, Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region.
“In every scientific discipline, high-performance computing is becoming increasingly central to the way we conduct research. With Rorqual, we collectively gain a tool that matches our ambitions and pushes the boundaries of what we can explore, model, understand, and create. A true accelerator of discovery,” says Sébastien Lemieux, Scientific Director at Calcul Québec, adding that thousands of researchers, graduate students, and trainees rely on these resources.
“Access to infrastructure like Rorqual has a tangible impact on the research and innovation community. Beyond the machine itself, our priority is to make this power truly accessible. Our team provides the technical support, training, and guidance required for the scientific community to use it effectively,” notes Suzanne Talon.
The commissioning of Rorqual in the McGill-Calcul Québec national data center is the result of a collective effort by Calcul Québec teams at McGill University, UdeM, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, Concordia University, Université du Québec à Montréal, École de technologie supérieure, Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal.
“Inter-university collaboration is crucial for ensuring that research communities in Quebec and across Canada have equitable access to cutting-edge resources. As the institution responsible for applying for funding and coordinating the Rorqual project within Calcul Québec, McGill is committed to supporting the scientific ecosystem at provincial and national levels,” says Dominique Bérubé, Vice-President of Research and Innovation at McGill University.
“The commissioning of Rorqual represents a significant advancement in our mission to provide the Canadian research community with world-class digital infrastructure. This exemplary initiative illustrates the strength of the Canadian model in collaborative research and will help position Canada as an international leader in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. It is through partnerships like this one that we continue to build the research ecosystem that drives innovation across our country,” concludes George Ross, CEO of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada
About Rorqual
Rorqual joins Narval, Fir, Arbutus, Nibi, and Trillium as part of the national advanced research computing infrastructure made available to Canadian researchers through the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. Together, these systems equip Canada’s research community with the tools needed to remain competitive globally through big data and high-performance computing.
Rorqual ranks 192nd (GPU) and 242nd (CPU) in the June 2025 edition of the TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, and 73rd (GPU) in the Green500 ranking.
McGill–Calcul Québec national data centre
The deployment of Rorqual at the McGill–Calcul Québec national data centre was made possible through a collective effort by Calcul Québec teams across McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, Concordia University, Université du Québec à Montréal, École de technologie supérieure, Polytechnique Montréal, and HEC Montréal. The project received financial support from the Digital Research Alliance of Canada and the Government of Quebec. This investment is part of Canada’s Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Strategy, led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
