Providing an update on the EUR 40 million investment in Gomilsko near Celje, Žohar told the STA that the adoption of the plans was under way, the current focus being the connecting road to the A1 motorway.

Moreover, the Institute for the Protection of Natural Heritage, which also needs to issue an opinion on the municipal spatial plan, is currently conducting studies in the area slated for the sawmill, explained Žohar, who took over as mayor in December 2018.

While the last postponed target for the adoption of the spatial plan had been July this year, Žohar expects that, barring any unforeseen complications, the plan should be under the roof by the end of the year.

BSW, which wanted to begin with construction in September last year and launch production in early 2020, postponed all activities in the face of the delays.

The company's representatives have however praised cooperation with Žohar and argued at the end of January that potential minor tweaks to the timeline were in line with the expected dynamic of such large scale investments.

The Braslovče municipality in fact adopted a municipal spatial plan last year, but left out the Gomilsko area, feeling it had to consult the relevant ministries on the details.

BSW's high-tech wood processing centre in Slovenia, which is expected to secure 170 jobs, involves a sawmill in Gomilsko with an annual capacity of 300,000 square metres of wood, as well as a wood pellet facility in Šoštanj and a pallets and wood packaging facility in Letuš.