STA, 9 November 2020 - The construction of a motorway between Postojna and Jelšane, for which the government recently launched procedures for the national zoning plan, will start after 2030, the national motorway company DARS said on Monday. The zoning plan is to be adopted at the end of 2027.

According to DARS, the national programme for transport development until 2030 envisages the construction of the Postojna-Jelšane section after 2030.

The government decided last month to go ahead with the national zoning plan for the 38-kilometre section that will link the Slovenian motorway system with the Croatian port city of Rijeka, some 30 kilometres south of the Jelšane border crossing.

The motorway is to run through the municipalities of Postojna, Pivka and Ilirska Bistrica, the government said.

The section has also been classified as a part of long-route connections of international importance in the transport networks of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative.

"The new road connection will significantly improve the transport situation in the existing system of state roads in the relevant area. It will unburden existing roads and improve road safety," the government said, adding that it would also function as bypasses for towns and places it will pass.

The government decided to prepare the national zoning plan for the Postojna-Jelšane section in 2013, and studies have been ordered to look into possible routes. Years later the government decided the Postojna route was the only viable option.

In line with the timeline of the Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning, it will take about three years for the government to approve the route of the section. This is to be followed with zoning work and only after that will blueprints be drafted, properties and relevant approvals acquired, the final step being a tender for contractors, the newspaper Delo reported last month.

The paper also said that locals from Pivka would likely object to the route. Mayor Robert Smrdelj told the paper that the potential routes clash either with Natura 2000, cultural heritage or water sources.

In order to avoid this, the solutions move the route closer to villages. "Because the course is planned too close to villages, there may be a lot of bad blood in the Pivka area."

Locals in Pivka would rather see that this motorway section run from Divača, further west along the existing motorway, to Jelšane. Smrdelj told Delo that there was "significant political pressure" that the motorway section to Jelšane run from Postojna.

STA, 9 November 2020 - Works began Monday on a section of the Gorenjska railway leading from Ljubljana to the border with Austria. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said this was just the beginning and announced upgrades of other sections, new tracks, and a connection to Brnik airport.

This year marks 150 years since the official opening of the Gorenjska railway, and the tracks were last replaced 40 years ago. The entire route, which is important for the economy, is in dire need of renovation, the minister said.

After the modernisation, the tracks will be suitable for heavier trains and slightly higher speeds, he explained as works began on the Kranj-Lesce section.

"The ministry wants to strengthen railway transport in Slovenia both because of sustainable mobility and the awareness of how important this is for the Slovenian economy," the minister said.

He is convinced that people would use trains more often too if they were faster and more efficient.

Studies are under way to find new shorter routes and routes that will allow dual tracks, especially to Domžale, Kamnik and Kranj. A connection to Brnik airport is also planned.

The Škofja Loka railway station will be renovated along with the entire Gorenjska railway, Vrtovec noted. "This now is the first step and others will follow in the coming years," he said.

In the first phase, the most critical sections from Kranj to Podnart and from Podnart to Lesce will be renovated as part of a EUR 96 million project that will be under way while the Karavanke railway tunnel connecting Slovenia and Austria is closed for renovation.

The Kranj-Jesenice section has been closed since the beginning of the month and should reopen in June next year. "It is in our interest for the works to be finished as soon as possible," Vrtovec said, noting that this was an important section for the port of Koper.

According to Dejan Jurkovič, who is in charge of railway investments at the Infrastructure Agency, first the tracks will be repaired, so that they can be used again as soon as possible. In the second phase, railway stations and other sections will be renovated, from Ljubljana to Jesenice.

He said the second phase was planned immediately after 2022 and should be concluded in this decade.

STA, 14 October 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša, his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban and Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman addressed a ceremony in the north-east of the country on Wednesday launching construction of a power line that will link the three countries.

The 80-kilometre power line between Cirkovce near Ptuj and Pince on the border with Hungary will establish a link between the Hungarian and Slovenian national grids and consequently Croatia's.

The EUR 150 million project has been almost two decades in the making, mainly due to lengthy zoning procedures.

Janša noted that it took ten times as long to prepare the project as it would to build it; ELES, the national grid operator, expects for the 2x400 kV power line to be linked internationally by the end of 2021 with the project to be fully completed with final details by the end of 2022.

[FOTO] [VIDEO] @JJansaSDS ob otvoritvi začetka izgradnje daljnovoda Cirkovce-Pince: Samo politična povezava, brez energetskih in infrastrukturnih povezav, je mrtva črka na papirju.https://t.co/JqapgFEXpY pic.twitter.com/RuT1UvuWbv

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) October 14, 2020

"Unfortunately, we have terrible difficulties in Slovenia when it comes to the speed of development projects and their siteing, not so much with construction as with red tape," Janša said, adding that the project should serve as a further encouragement that procedures should never again take that long.

He said the power line was of exceptional importance not only for Slovenia but for a broader region despite the fact that electricity was being taken for granted, just like health before one got sick.

He thanked those responsible in Hungarian and Croatian institutions for making the project possible, praising excellent cooperation between the three countries during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in spring.

Orban labelled today's event as historic, not only because of the energy link between the two countries, but also because of a vital moment between the nations.

He said Central Europe was gaining on significance as the centre of development was moving eastward. "The EU is not just a German-French matter, it's also links between the countries that are gaining on value, which is making them a site of geopolitical games and interests of the big ones," said Orban.

He underscored energy policy and cooperation in the field as an important aspect that boosts the region's position. He predicted a further step in that direction as Slovenia and Hungary agree enhancing their gas pipeline and rail links.

The Croatian foreign minister said the power line construction was in the interests of the whole EU as the bloc sought to strengthen infrastructure links in Central Europe.

He said additional steps would be needed in the future to make the energy system reliable in the long term because the role of the sector would be vital for the EU's economic recovery.

ELES boss Aleksander Mervar said the power line would create the first cross-border link with Hungary's grid, thus increasing the system's reliability.

The project is valued at about EUR 150 million, of which EUR 50 million will come in EU funds.

After the ceremony, Janša and Orban met over working lunch for discussion on bilateral matters, topical EU issues and the coronavirus pandemic.

STA, 8 September 2020 - The EU Commission has given a go-ahead for an investment worth EUR 80 million out of the cohesion fund to co-finance the new rail section from Divača to Koper, said the Commission on Tuesday. The funds will be spent on building a tunnel and two viaducts on the track, which is to improve rail interconnection.

The project would not only boost rail links in Slovenia but also support the internal market by strengthening economic and social cohesion, said European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira as quoted in a press release.

"The new section is vital for managing the growing demand along the track and for linking the key corridor in the core network and maritime routes," said Brussels.

Ferreira pointed out that the EU's investment was necessary for strengthening rail links between Central Europe and port operator Luka Koper, with the latter being an important nexus of cargo and passenger traffic.

By switching from roads to railways, the project will moreover help reduce emissions and improve air quality in line with the Green Deal targets, which are also pursued by cohesion policy, said the Commission.

The price tag of the entire Divača-Koper project, the biggest publicly-financed construction project currently under way in Slovenia, is estimated at EUR 1.194 billion.

The investment will be financed from various sources, with Slovenia expected to invest the biggest share. The amount of state funding will depend on potential cooperation with another EU country along the corridor.

The project will be moreover funded by EU grants, loans by international financial institutions, commercial banks and SID Bank, the state-run export and development bank.

The National Review Commission has recently shortened the list of suitable bidders for the principal construction works on the rail section. While some bidders will reportedly be asked to supplement their bids, one bidder each from Slovenia, Turkey, China and Austria remain in play.

More details on the state of the project will be presented at a press conference of Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec scheduled for tomorrow.

STA, 4 September 2020 - Builder Kolektor Koling signed the latest in a series of high-value construction contract in Croatia on Friday, this time for a EUR 35 million reconstruction of transport surfaces and rails at the port of Rijeka.

The work on the project, 85% of which is financed through the EU's Connecting Europe Facility fund, will start in December, Kolektor said.

The Slovenian builder will renovate over 110,000 square metres of surfaces, 1,625 metres of crane tracks and over 12 kilometres of rail tracks along with several other essential infrastructure segments at the port.

Kolektor Koling said this was already the second major project agreed in Rijeka in the recent three months, while the company's director spoke of over EUR 200 million worth of construction work secured in Croatia in the recent period.

Kolektor is presently building the main road section between Škurin and the Rijeka port estimated at EUR 75 million, as well as a wastewater collection, disposal and treatment system on the island of Krk estimated at over EUR 44 million.

Other ongoing projects include the development of multimodal platforms at the Rijeka port in conjunction with the Jadranska Vrata terminal worth EUR 37 million, and water supply reconstruction for the city of Petrinja, estimated at EUR 35 million, Kolektor Koling said.

STA, 28 August 2020 - After months of delays, first because of complaints in the contracting procedure and then due to the coronavirus pandemic, workers have finally started boring the second tube of the Karavanke Tunnel on the Slovenian side.

Turkish contractor Cengiz currently has 43 workers on site, a figure that is set to increase to 150 when boring is ramped up to a 24/7 cycle, according to Valentin Hajdinjak, the chairman of motorway company DARS.

Both Hajdinjak and Asim Cengiz, a member of the Cengiz board, told the press on Friday that the project, valued at just under EUR 100 million, will be completed on schedule and on budget. "Cengiz plans to complete the works before 2025," Asim Cengiz said.

Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said this was "a great day for Slovenia, for the entire logistics sector and for neighbouring countries."

He also expressed the wish that Cengiz enlist as many Slovenian subcontractor as possible, which he said he had also briefly discussed with the company's representatives.

The boring starts two and a half years after DARS issued a public call. It took until 22 January this year before the contracting procedure was completed.

The second tube of the motorway tunnel is just under eight kilometres long, with the Slovenian section measuring 3.5 kilometres. On the Austrian side boring is well under way.

STA, 14 August 2020 - Speaking about a potential second nuclear reactor in Krško, Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Blaž Košorok has told the STA that Slovenia is and will remain a nuclear country. Košorok, who is convinced Slovenia will need the reactor, called for a fact-based debate as opposed to politicking and appeals to emotions.

While the government recently placed a new nuclear reactor in Krško on the list of strategic projects for post-coronacrisis recovery, Košorok said this did not mean a final decision on the project had been made.

"We are talking about some kind of guidelines, but fact is that Slovenia is and will remain a nuclear country. We've been living with this for more than 40 years and will probably continue living with it," said Košorok.

The official, who described nuclear energy as a safe, reliable and long-term source of power, stressed that the 20-year extension of the life-span of what is currently Slovenia's sole nuclear reactor needs to be secured again first after a recent Administrative Court decision that entails a reinstalling of the original 40-year span ending in 2023.

Košorok is confident that the Environment Agency, which needs to okay the extension through an environmental impact assessment, has enough awareness about the importance of nuclear energy for Slovenia.

He stressed that securing the needed facilities for the storage of nuclear waste was a pre-condition for any decision. The investor, state-owned power utility Gen Energija, which manages Slovenia's half of the Krško nuclear power station, will have to be convicting with a serious investment plan and zoning procedures need to start.

Košorok added the investor will have to convince the asset manager, meaning the Slovenia Sovereign Holding, and key stakeholders, with the plan being that a decision on a second reactor be adopted until 2027 approximately.

Broad social consensus will be needed for a new reactor, especially in light of social and economic development, he added. He said some opposition is expected and normal while urging against politicking and for expertise-based debates.

He spoke of a fairly safe situation, pointing to the recent strong earthquake in nearby Zagreb that had no noteworthy effect on the Krško nuclear power plant whatsoever.

Košorok said it was too soon to speak about any technical details. There are a few interested parties, among them Westinghouse, which also built the existing reactor. Concrete decisions will be taken by experts, he added.

Interest in participation in the project was recently also expressed by Croatia, which co-owns the Krško nuclear power plant and has been cooperating with Slovenia in its management.

"There are ups and downs with any contract, a marriage is also a contract-based relationship that has good and bad moments. And I feel the good moments prevailed here," the official commented, welcoming Croatia's initiative while adding this was just one possible scenario.

The project has also drawn attention in other neighbouring countries, including Austria as a country traditionally opposed to nuclear energy. Talks were conducted as the life-span of the current reactor was being extended and Košorok said there had been "no dramatic opposition".

Meanwhile, the official also reflected on other potential energy projects in the country, highlighting the untapped potential in the Central Sava Valley, which he said could accommodate 10 hydro power plants. He said zoning and spatial planing should start immediately.

He moreover lamented the slow progress it the use of wind energy, saying Slovenia was unfortunately at the very tail end in this respect in the EU.

Košorok has a long track record in the energy industry. He headed the state-owned power utility HSE between 2012 and 2016, having before that spent seven years at the helm of the Ljubljana co-generation plant TE-TOL.

More on nuclear power and Slovenia

STA, 10 August 2020 - The supervisors of Slovenske Železnice have confirmed a revised business report for 2019, which shows the railways operator recorded a net profit of EUR 35 million, and appointed Aleksander Mervar the new chief supervisor.

Slovenske Železnice generated EUR 601 million in revenue in 2019, EBITDA amounted to EUR 87 million, EBIT to EUR 42 million and net profit to EUR 35 million, shows the updated report, discussed by the supervisors last Friday.   

Meanwhile, Mervar, the chairman of state-owned power utility Eles, was appointed chief supervisor by the nine-strong board, which started its term in September last year. The board had initially appointed Bojan Branko chief supervisor, but Branko passed away in June to be temporarily replaced by Aleksander Nagode.

The supervisory board also features Adam Vengušt, Igor Janez Zajec, Tanja Bolte, Silvo Berdajs, Zlatko Ratej and Jože Pavšek.

Slovenske Železnice moreover said on Monday that the group had adjusted its business plan for 2020 in the face of the coronacrisis.

The company, which will face around EUR 30 million in severance costs due to a planned reduction of its workforce from 7,200 to 6,200 by the end of the year, expects an operating profit of EUR 5.5 million.

STA, 23 July 2020 - Visiting Poland, Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz and EU Affairs Minister Konrad Szymanski on Thursday. The officials reaffirmed good relations between Poland and Slovenia, with Logar expressing satisfaction about Slovenia's successful cooperation with the Visegrad Group.

Logar thanked Czaputowicz for Poland's assistance in repatriating Slovenians stranded abroad in the midst of air travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The gesture, attesting to solidarity and friendship between the two countries, will always be remembered with gratitude in Slovenia," said Logar.

The pair highlighted successful economic cooperation between Poland and Slovenia. Trade amounts to almost EUR 2 billion. Logar and Czaputowicz pointed to the untapped potential of collaboration in terms transport infrastructure in central Europe, said the Foreign Ministry.

Minister @AnzeLog in minister #Czaputowicz sta v Varšavi potrdila odlične odnose med ?? in ?? ter se strinjala, da je regionalno sodelovanje v srednji Evropi pomemben vzvod v #EU, ki lahko prispeva k različnim evropskim politikam. #StrongerTogether2020 #ThreeSeasInitiative #V4+ pic.twitter.com/IsMqQiliaq

— SLOVENIAN MFA (@MZZRS) July 23, 2020

Logar also highlighted the importance of integrating the Port of Koper in the future Baltic-Adriatic railway corridor, a part of the planned Pan-European transport network which will represent a state-of-the-art railway axis between the two countries.

The Slovenian foreign minister expressed interest in continuing and strengthening cooperation between the Visegrad Four and Slovenia in the future.

During a meeting with Szymanski, Logar presented the priorities of Slovenia's approaching EU Council presidency, including EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Both ministers expressed support for the process, agreeing that stimulating circumstances had to be fostered to promote the development of the region.

The pair also discussed migration strategies in Europe. They were of the same opinion that ways of expressing solidarity could be various and that the issue should be tackled in cooperation with source countries.

The Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported today that Czaputowicz noted Polish and Slovenian prime ministers, Mateusz Morawiecki and Janez Janša, "collaborated effectively" during the recent EU summit.

"We achieved success together. Slovenia joined the group of Visegrad countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia), and the result of this summit is our common achievement," Czaputowicz said according to PAP.

Czaputowicz said that Slovenia was becoming an important partner of Poland as a result of "certain political processes" taking place in Slovenia.

STA, 18 June 2020 - The government has compiled a list of key investments that will be given priority treatment in administrative procedures so as to help kick-start the economy. The list currently features 187 investments worth EUR 7.7 billion and will be updated on an ongoing basis, Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak told the press on Thursday.

The minister said the main intention of the third stimulus package and the list of investments was to promote the implementation of projects which had come to a standstill due to bureaucratic complications.

A special task force will examine the projects giving them a priority mark based on their feasibility and whether their finances are already clear, he explained after the government session.

It will get down to work in the coming days, "starting with the projects which are closest to being implemented and which can be brought to life fastest".

The task force will feature representatives of agencies and other offices which are key in the process of obtaining permits.

This new approach could well halve the duration of certain administrative procedures, Vizjak said, adding that "the change at the helm of many institutions important for obtaining permits" would also make these offices act in a less bureaucratic manner.

The list features 22 environment projects worth EUR 310 million and 19 energy projects worth EUR 650 million, including a new reactor at Nuclear Power Plant in Krško.

There are also many transport projects, worth a combined EUR 4.5 billion.

Regional development projects, among them projects from health, education, culture etc, are worth more than EUR 2 billion.

"The government believes that starting an investment cycle in Slovenia does not only mean preserving jobs but also creating new ones. Not only in construction but also in many other industries which are related to construction ...."

Vizjak said this was the first list to start with, but it would be further refreshed with potential new investments before the summer holidays.

The list does not feature only publicly funded projects but also those funded from private sources.

"We also count a lot on the [EU post-Covid] recovery fund, which is still being consolidated and formed and which could be a source for many a project."

Also on the list are projects for which the finances have been fully secured, but are deadlocked due to failure to obtain permits.

The list moreover includes a number of projects which are needed systemically, from new homes for the elderly and housing to water supply, flood safety.

The minister believes the list is an important message to businesses showing that the government would like to encourage an investment cycle and "that everyone who would like to invest in environmentally feasible projects and who wants to see the country's further development in all areas, is welcome".

As for NEK 2, the second reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, Vizjak recalled it had been placed among important projects already back in 2006.

It has now made it to the list of key investments "because finally, siting procedures should be launched".

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has described the list as "a contribution to the revival of the economy and the preservation of many jobs".

The list, which was initially expected to include 50-odd projects, now features virtually all major public infrastructure projects currently under consideration.

Some of the biggest projects are ongoing construction of a new track between Divača and Koper, several smaller rail projects across the entire rail network, the north-south expressway in eastern Slovenia, dubbed the third development axis, and the passenger terminal in Ljubljana.

Energy projects on the list include the Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava, the second unit at Krško plus the radwaste repository, and a transmission line upgrade between Cirkovce and Pince in eastern Slovenia.

Several flood protection projects are on the list as well, along with multiple housing projects, construction of new care homes, hospitals and university buildings.

In the culture segment, the new wing of the National and University Library, dubbed NUK2, made the cut along with a renovation of the SNG Drama theatre in Ljubljana and the National Archives building.