A visitor takes photos of an Origin Wukong superconducting quantum computer model at the 2024 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

A large intelligent computing center based in southwest China's Sichuan Province has officially launched a cross-regional computing power service, providing a new engine for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) industry in the country's vast west region.

The move also makes the Tianfu Intelligent Computing Center the first cross-regional, multi-functional computing service hub in western China, the center's owner Chengdu Data Group said on Thursday.

The center will leverage the abundant wind and hydropower resources across various cities in Sichuan to develop computing nodes in locations such as Chengdu and Yibin, it said.

The National Supercomputing Center in Chengdu, the provincial capital city of Sichuan, will serve as the main node, with those in Yibin and Lushan in Chengdu functioning as sub-nodes.

This initiative aims to establish unified management, scheduling, and supply of various computing resources, with the goal of creating a comprehensive service platform that integrates computing services and construction of an ecosystem for the computing industry, according to the Chengdu Data Group.

The Tianfu Intelligent Computing Center commenced project planning in April 2024. Currently, the total computing capacity of the center exceeds 1,000 petaflops, facilitating the precise matching of computing power needs for enterprises both within and outside Sichuan.

It supports the training of complex, large-scale models with high computational needs, providing efficient computing power services tailored to applications in transportation, cultural tourism, education, and government sectors.

In the future, the center promotes collaboration with universities and research institutions to enhance technical breakthroughs and expand application scenarios, thus contributing to the core competitiveness of Chengdu's AI industry, according to the Chengdu Data Group.