Slovenian Power Plant Sostanj Seeks EBRD Loan for New 600 MW Unit

The programme involves the construction at the plant site of a new coal-fired 600 megawatt (MW) unit, called Unit 6, EBRD said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.

No information was immediately available on the size of the loan financing for the project mulled by EBRD.

"The proposed project, which has total estimated costs equivalent to 1.1 billion euro [$1.6 billion] will require, among others, the procurement of the following works and services: installation of the cooling water system including construction of the cooling tower; civil works for the main power facilities, other buildings and structure as well as preparatory works; installation of coal transport facilities; installation of facilities for disposal of ash, slag and gypsum; installation of water preparation facilities," the statement sad.

Tendering for the above contracts is expected to begin in 2009, the statement added.

Contracts to be financed with the proceeds of the EBRD loan will be subject to the Bank's Procurement Policies and Rules and will be open to firms from any country.

The five-unit 712 MW Termoelektrarna Sostanj (www.te-sostanj.si) is the largest power generation facility of Slovenian group Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE).

The Unit 6 project will enable Termoelektrarna Sostanj to produce 4,700 gigawatthours (GWh) of electricity from the four million tons of coal it uses per year, instead of 3,600 GWh as it currently does, according to the HEP website.

($=0.6671 euro)