Alberta pot facility expands to meet global demand

MEDICINE HAT, ALTA. – Aurora Cannabis is increasing the size of its under construction Aurora Sun project in Medicine Hat, Alta.

The company attributed the design change to a rapidly growing global demand for high-quality medical marijuana. The facility’s initial 1.2-million-square-foot footprint will be expanded by 33 per cent to 1.62 million square feet. Aurora officials stated they were confident in projecting an expected production capacity at Aurora Sun in excess of 230,000 kilograms of high-quality cannabis a year.

Aurora’s Sky Class facilities are some of the most technologically advanced in the world, states a release. Instead of standard greenhouses, the facilities are purpose-built, indoor cannabis grow facilities that create optimal growing conditions for only cannabis. This is achieved with a glass roof, rainwater and snow melt recapture system and a high-level of technology and automation that gives employees total control over growing and harvesting conditions.

“Aurora Sun represents the next evolution in our Sky Class facility design, delivering massive scale, low cost production, and consistent, high-quality cannabis,” said Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora, in the press release.

He added the increased scale of Aurora Sun reflects the company’s long-term global cannabis demand projections. He said this is especially true for higher margin international medical markets that will be faced with significant supply shortages for the foreseeable future.

He noted the project is also designed with flexibility in mind to enable the company to quickly meet changing market demands, particularly as breeding and cultivation technologies evolve and as customer preferences and requirements change.

The facility will feature 37 growing rooms, each with 32,500 square feet of space. Once fully operational, Aurora Sun will be able to house more than one million plants in various stages of growth.

Building on previous automation at its other facilities, Aurora Sun will be run with next generation robotic technology to assist in cloning, production, transportation and climate management.

According to Aurora, ground work at the facility is close to wrapping up, the installation of the steel structure is advancing and placement of the glass is expected to be completed within the next month.

Licensing requests will allow the facility to begin planting in some rooms before the entire building is complete.