TRIESTE – Luka Koper, the company managing the port of Koper, has denied rumours of new “energy” facilities, clarifying that its development plan concerns the modernisation of existing infrastructure for products already handled at the Slovenian port.
There are no plans for a new gas terminal or LPG storage facilities in the Bay of Koper. This is the position expressed by Luka Koper after a press conference by the Municipality of Ankaran, which had presented documents described as evidence of a project to build a terminal for the transhipment of petroleum products, chemicals and LNG.
The company managing the Slovenian port described those claims as “false and misleading”, specifying that the material shown by the mayor of Ankaran does not represent a project for a new oil terminal or for gas-dedicated infrastructure. According to Luka Koper, the document cited concerns a technical draft prepared years ago as part of preliminary studies on the organisation of berths for liquid cargoes provided for by Slovenia’s National Spatial Plan. The company also stressed that the material was never approved internally and does not constitute an operational project.
The statement comes in a particularly sensitive context, as the issue of a gas terminal in the Bay of Koper had in the past triggered strong opposition from local communities, institutions and local authorities. Luka Koper itself recalls that it has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the possible location of a gas terminal in the area and reiterated in 2021 that any LPG storage facilities are not compatible with its development plan.
In the clarification issued by the company, it is emphasised that the National Spatial Plan provides exclusively for a new quay dedicated to the transhipment of fuels that already pass through the port, mainly petroleum products. The aim would be to further improve safety, environmental protection and operational reliability standards.
The port also recalls that petroleum product traffic has been present in Koper since the 1970s and represents an established component of port activity. For this reason, the planned works would not be aimed at expanding the types of traffic handled, but at upgrading and modernising infrastructure considered strategic for Slovenia’s energy supply.
The note also refers to the role of the port as critical national infrastructure, with the task of ensuring the continuity of the country’s energy supplies. Hence the need to maintain adequate port capacity for the handling of energy products. Luka Koper also rejects accusations of lack of transparency, stressing that all development projects are subject to authorisation procedures, technical assessments and, where required, environmental impact checks and public consultation processes. Tenders for the selection of contractors are published on official portals and the entire development process follows procedures defined by Slovenian legislation. The company concluded the note by reiterating that its growth plan remains focused on the sustainable development of the port and that there are no projects for the construction of a gas terminal or LPG storage facilities in the Bay of Koper.
