The operator of the Velenje coal mine published last week a call for bids for Hotel Barbara in Piran and Hotel Oleander in Strunjan, with the asking price standing at EUR 3.4m and EUR 2.72m, respectively.

The call for bids, which is open until 15 May, sets the condition that the buyer must retain the 12 employees in the 42-room Barbara and the seven employees in the 26-room Oleander.

Premogovnik Velenje is also planning to sell a number of other buildings not necessary for its core activity as part of the disinvestment process launched at the beginning of 2014.

The mine operator was ordered to sell its non-core assets by its owner, power utility HSE, which in addition to Premogovnik Velenje is also burdened by the expensive construction of a new generator at the Šoštanj coal-power plant and the TET power plant in Trbovlje, which is being liquidated.

The supervisors of the operator of Slovenia's biggest mine got acquainted with the company's insolvency at the beginning of April, establishing that there are grounds for a capital increase. The unofficial figure is EUR 70m.

Premogovnik Velenje, which reportedly owed EUR 60m to HSE at the end of last year, generated a loss of EUR 33m in 2014. This is EUR 4m less than in 2013.