TEŠ wrote that, as envisaged in the credit contract, the EIB had decided to release the loan after additional checks of the environmental, economic and other effects of the project.

The bank also considered the positive position issued by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is participating in the funding of the project along with leading European commercial banks.

According to TEŠ, the project had undergone a number of expert studies in recent years, which showed it was justified in terms of economic, environmental and energy considerations. More than 70% of the work on the project has already been done, with Slovenian companies involved in more than 20% of the construction.

TEŠ is aware that banks will continue to closely monitor to project, as will the Slovenian public, media and civil initiatives which have recently been "attacking it with half-baked claims that are false", the press release says.