I agree with the gnashing of teeth about the nameplate. They need to come clean, either they can technically achieve it or they can't. If it is a matter of not enough ponds providing insuffient brine inventory to get over the winter months then please come clean and tell us and at the same time tell us how they are going to fix it. Sounds like building more ponds may be the only way.
If they still think they can technically achieve it then bloody well give it a red hot go. (I'm assuming they must have done this already, though.) They have plenty of money in the bank. Set up task force "Bottleneck Removal" or "Nameplate Squad" and examine every last detail of the process chain and find what the problem is and fix it. Just do it FFS! Or come clean and tell us it can't be done.