The ministry of economy told Reuters that Slovenia's government plans to decide in the coming months whether to build a new 600 MW coal power plant TES 6 or modernize two existing plants instead.

The country had planned to start building the new plant in 2010 but that was postponed due to rising opposition to the new plant with a number of experts and civil society groups claiming the country should shift investment to renewable energy sources. The plant, worth some EUR 1.2 billion (USD 1.65 billion), has already secured loans from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in a total value of EUR 750 million.

In 2008, Slovenia also signed an agreement with France's Alstom (ALSO.PA) to provide technical equipment for the plant. In spite of that the centre-left government has not yet given the green light to the start of construction and plans to decide upon it after getting a report of the state-owned electricity producer HSE on Slovenian coal supplies and on the possibility of modernizing the existing coal power plants.

HSE told Reuters the report will be finalized by the end of March. Spokeswoman of the ministry of economy Alja Tihle said that "The decision will be taken after the government gets the report, possibly as early as in March if the report is delivered in that month.”

In February several parliamentary members, including those of Zares, a junior party of the government coalition, called for a public referendum on whether a new coal power plant should be built, particularly since it is expected to produce 103 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in the 40 years of its operations.

(Sourced from Reuters)