Luka Koper, which is in the process of obtaining a building permit for the project, told the STA on Monday that the new mooring was important primarily for the car terminal, as car transshipment is increasing at the highest rate.

It will also be used by the Slovenian army and will also relieve some of the traffic in the port, as extensive investments are envisaged for the needs of the container terminal, it added.

The investment, which will be carried out by Luka Koper on its own, has two phases, with the second phase envisaging an expansion and modernisation of the existing RORO mooring in 2020.

The new mooring will be closer to the platform intended for storage of cars, and will reduce operational costs and environmental impact.

Luka Koper also confirmed that it had picked the contractor for a new entry point for trucks, which is expected to relieve the traffic around the old city core. The EUR 4.15m project is expected to be finalised at the beginning of 2019.