Recently, Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced of having a new high-tech hybrid greenhouse cannabis facility in 71 acres of land at Medicine Hat, Alberta. A memorandum was also signed between the two parties after knowing all the terms and conditions, which include ten years of 42 MW energy supply agreement.
Aurora Sun, a division owned by the Aurora Larssen Projects Inc., will design and construct that facility in Medicine Hat. Till now, Aurora has a funded capacity of 280,000 kg per year but, after Aurora Sun, it has been increased to 430,000 kilograms per year. The company is providing services to 45,000 patients, and now, a new facility can help the pending legal adult consumer market of Canada.
According to the survey report, there is a huge demand for medical cannabis for the treatment, and it is continuously growing at a rapid speed. This condition will remain the same for many years, and some small producers of cannabis will have experience in the cultivation. Currently, Aurora is exporting its cannabis to Germany and Italy, which has a population of 140 million in total, and now, European medical cannabis is online. There is a huge requirement for an increase in the production capacity of high-quality cannabis in undersupplied high-margined markets.
The new facility will be constructed with advanced technologies like closed system with positive pressure, fully automated movement of plant and bench, high plant density, increasing the turnover of crop, reduce human-plant interaction, robotized internal logistics, low-carbon-footprint design, HVAC system, collection of precipitation for reuse, nutrient delivery system, and optimal light penetration.
The new facility will be extremely efficient, and production costs will fall below $1 per gram at full capacity. The construction will start in a few weeks. According to the management, first planting will happen in the first half of the year 2019, and the full facility will complete in the second half of the year 2019.
There are many opportunities to have the facility in Medicine Hat as it provides low electricity prices and taxes. It has its power, water, gas, and sewage utilities. The Mayor of Medicine Hat, Ted Clugston, said that there are many opportunities for employment due to growing facilities.
