EBRD probes Slovenia plant contract with Alstom

PARIS, April 18 (Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said it was looking into corruption allegations involving a Slovenian power-plant upgrade contract with France's Alstom.

The EBRD will not unblock further funds from its 200 million euro ($262 million) project loan without Slovenian government guarantees but is not formally halting payments, the intergovernmental lending institution said on Wednesday.

"At this stage we remain committed to the project," an EBRD spokeswoman said.

Alstom had no immediate comment, a spokeswoman for the Paris-based transport and power engineering company said.

A Slovenian anti-corruption commission report, published in February, found a "high risk of corruption and conflict of interest" in the tender offer to upgrade the Sostanj coal-fired power station.

The project, awarded to Alstom in 2008, also secured a 550 million euro loan from the European Investment Bank.