Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova will be among the speakers at a key nuclear decommissioning and waste management conference in Sofia this year, organizers from SZ&W Group have said. 

Scheduled for December 08 and 09, the Central and Eastern Europe Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Management Congress 2016 will be the only  event in the region dedicated to the issue this year.

A third of all 133 reactors in EU-based nuclear plants will have to be decommissioned by 2025, with different factors also pushing some Central and Eastern European countries to speed up the process, the group has reminded in a statement.

Other participants will be from the European Union, the Energy Ministry, State Enterprise Radioactive Waste, the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency, and the Nuclear Operator from Lithuania and Ukraine. 

The event will include comprehensive analyses on the situation in Bulgaria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Romania. 

"Between 1999 and 2013, the EU has pledged to provide financial assistance totaling  EUR 2.85 B to Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia," the organizers have said on their website.

"Moreover, European Union will stimulate export of know-how to other countries, especially those having a large nuclear program, and promote highest safety level, from legislation, strong regulatory oversight to the minimization, sorting and characterization for the large volumes of waste." 

"This growing market creates a potential for new activities, with highly skilled jobs in an innovative field, involving high-level technologies."

"The conference will offer you a comprehensive coverage of the nuclear decommissioning and waste management markets with fresh project updates and various case studies cross CEE region. Meanwhile, for those who are keen to find new investment opportunities or strengthen their presence in the global & regional market, especially the Central and Eastern European market, this two days congress will provide plenty of opportunities to meet your future partners."