Announcing the postponement, BSW Timber executive commercial director Alex Brownlie told the STA on Wednesday that it was a consequence of a delay in administrative procedures related to certain segments of the project.

He added that the investment activities were on schedule and that preparatory work would be launched in the autumn in accordance with the existing building permits.

According to Brownlie, the start of construction is scheduled for the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.

He noted that the government and local authorities had signed an agreement to build a road connecting the planned plant with the A1 motorway, which was an important element for the confirmation of the environmental report.

The high-tech wood processing plant is expected to handle 300,000 cubic metres of wood a year. It is expected to be launched at the beginning of 2020, while BSW Timber will already be buying wood from Slovenian sawmills next year.

The entire investment in Slovenia by the Scottish sawmiller, which also features a planned pellet plant and a cogeneration plant on wood biomass in Šoštanj and a pallet and wood packaging plant in Letuš, is expected to bring 170 new jobs.