There are currently about 150 workers on the construction site, 50 fewer than normally. Construction work is ongoing but other work, including installation, has been suspended, a spokesman for the Šoštanj power plant (TEŠ) told the STA on Monday.

Alstom had said it would suspend work on 17 June if parliament fails to pass a law providing a state guarantee for a EUR 440m loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

But TEŠ had urged it to postpone the suspension until 22 June, a day after the parliament's Finance and Monetary Policy Committee is due to meet to discuss the guarantee bill.

TEŠ has still not received a formal reply from the French contractor. Alstom meanwhile told the STA on Sunday it was in "ongoing contact" with the power plant operator but could not confirm a new deadline.

TEŠ has said a suspension of works would delay the project and raise the total price. But the government has made the loan guarantee conditional on TEŠ providing additional safeguards and lowering the cost of the EUR 1.3bn project.