KIEV, May 20 ??“ Hundreds of households in Donetsk will get high-tech power consumption measuring devices before the end of the month in an ambitious project aimed at reduction of power losses in the region.

The pilot project calls for the installation of 477 Automatic Meter Readers (AMR), a piece of equipment that allows the region power office to confirm the power consumption used by each household.

The $800,000 project financed by the Korean government through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is aimed at reducing losses at DonetskOblEnergo as well as to improve quality of power supply.

???This pilot project will help to improve the existing electricity measuring work in a tremendous way,??? the Korean Embassy said Friday in a press release.

A team of Korean experts has been conducting tests since late last year seeking to launch the project that is expected to help regional power distributor to cut costs by eliminating some of the losses.

Through the pilot project, the Korean experts will review the existing programs for technical loss reduction and prepare a list of recommendations of optimal strategies including effective management system, according to the press release.

The project addresses one of the biggest problems faced by regional power distribution companies in Ukraine where losses during distribution sometimes reach up to 15%, an extremely high level, analysts said.

The losses usually result from outdated power supply technology, but sometimes the losses are being artificially inflated by top managers to reduce or avoid tax payments, the analysts said. (pr/ez)