Aurora Cannabis Inc. (“Aurora”) (TSX: ACB) (OTCQB: ACBFF) (Frankfurt: 21P; WKN: A1C4WM) today announced that the Company has received a cultivation license from Health Canada for Aurora Sky, the Company’s 800,000+ square foot hybrid greenhouse facility, under construction at the Edmonton International Airport.
Aurora Sky will be the world’s most technologically advanced and largest capacity purpose-built cannabis facility, focused on the mass-cultivation of ultra-low cost, high-quality cannabis.
Aurora Sky, the Company’s third licensed facility, will be capable of producing in excess of 100,000 kg of cannabis per year. The world’s only cannabis facility located on the property of an international airport, Aurora Sky possesses numerous strategic advantages, including ample low-cost power, water and gas, excellent security, unrivaled access to transportation, logistical services, immediate access to international customs, as well as air and ground domestic and international courier services.
The facility, designed by recently acquired Larssen Ltd, now part of ALPS (“Aurora Larssen Projects Ltd”), combines proven best-in-class horticultural technologies, never previously deployed together in a single agricultural facility, making it not only the most advanced cannabis facility in the world but the most advanced greenhouse of any kind.
Aurora Sky is designed to operate with unprecedented automation and to deliver optimized yields, plant health and product quality. The Health Canada license allows Aurora to begin cultivation immediately. Within the next week, the Company intends to commence transfer of its award-winning genetics from its Aurora Mountain facility in Cremona, Alberta, to start the first growing cycle at Aurora Sky. First harvest is targeted for the second calendar quarter of 2018.
“The licensing of Aurora Sky is a game changing milestone for the cannabis industry and an exciting inflection point in Aurora’s corporate development,” said Terry Booth, CEO. “This is the world’s largest cannabis facility ever to be licensed. It marks the beginning of a rapid production ramp-up that will see us produce over 100,000 kg of cannabis per year at this facility alone” said Terry Booth, CEO. “This is our second new facility to receive a cultivation license in three months – a true testament to Aurora’s industry-leading ability to execute. The additional cultivation capacity will allow us to further expand our domestic and international market share very quickly, and is expected to significantly accelerate revenue growth this year.”
Mr. Booth added, “I am incredibly proud of our team, our suppliers and contractors, and grateful to the Edmonton International Airport, Leduc County, and the Province of Alberta for their continued support, which has enabled Aurora to achieve this milestone, on a very complex project.
Dieter Macpherson, Vice President of Production, said, “We’re setting and successfully meeting aggressive timelines to construct our facilities and achieve Health Canada licensing. As with all Aurora facilities, we have adopted best practices in design and technology to ensure Aurora Sky will meet European Union Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards – the highest production standards in the world.
This will enable us to service both domestic and international markets with very high volumes of GMP certified cannabis products.”
credit:420intel.com
