The company said on Thursday it had received the permit a few days ago and that the document becomes final in 30 days.

By then the call for bids for supply and installation of test piles is to be completed. The main bid for the actual pier construction is yet to be issued.

Luka Koper plans to increase its container transshipment capacity to 1.3 million units annually by the end of 2020. Currently, the figure stands at around 910,000.

Initially, the pier extension was expected to be completed by the end of this year, but the plan was challenged by the Koper Municipality due to environmental concerns.

In July, the company and the municipality came to an agreement and the EUR 230m project was allowed to proceed. The port has acquired EUR 6m in EU funds for the project.