OREANDA-NEWS. August 2, 2011. Kiev City State Administration(KCSA), USAID Municipal Heating Reform (MHR) Project and DTEK signed a Memorandum on Cooperation in improvement of the heating system and energy efficiency of Kiev city.

Cooperation of the municipal authority with USAID will include staff training, assistance in developing the Municipal Energy Plan, energy audits of standard buildings and heating systems, research and implementation of standard projects on installation of heat metering and control systems, demonstrational joint implementation projects on energy efficiency, assistance in creation of apartment blocks joint owners associations as well as publicity campaign on energy efficiency. DTEK will provide financial support to the action plan suggested by USAID.

Aleksandr Mazurchak, First Deputy Head of Kiev City State Administration, pointed out: “Heating networks in the capital city remain in critical condition. Solving of this complicated issue requires completely new approaches. KCSA pays particular attention to the problem. We hope that the joint USAID experience and DTEK financial support will foster solutions to raise Kiev heating system to the European level”.

 “Signing the Memorandum means just the beginning of hard work using a range of organizational, staff and financial resources. DTEK is absolutely certain that the project will result in the quality heat supply of Kiev, meeting all the European standards. Experience of the capital cities of the neighbouring countries like Russia, Poland and Hungary has proved it possible. We believe this can be achieved through introducing energy efficiency programmes and retrofitting the networks, and USAID experts will help us to do it most efficiently”, Aleksandr Tolkach, DTEK’s Director for External Affairs, said.

“The USAID project will bring the most advanced European and American energy audit and energy management methods, will assist the city in developing the Municipal Energy Plan. It will be used as the basis for attracting private investors and international financial institutions. The three-party partnership will help improve the quality and reliability of the heating services for the city residents,” Bill Tucker, Project Manager of USAID Municipal Heating Reform in Ukraine, said.