NTPC Q1 net up 27%

NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power generator, has posted a 27 per cent rise in net profit for the quarter ended. “The higher profit is primarily attributed to our generation growth of 11 per cent. Around 2,000 Mw of our power generation capacity went commercial since the previous quarter. This resulted in increased sale of electricity,” said R S Sharma, chairman and managing director.

Sharma said the increase in Plant Load Factor (PLF) of their gas-based generation capacity also played a major role in pushing up the generation. The PLF of NTPC’s gas-based stations went up from 67 per cent in the year ago quarter to 80 per cent in this one.

The state-owned utility recorded a net profit of Rs 2,193.6 crore in the quarter, as compared to Rs 1,726.5 crore in the corresponding one last year. Total income also increased by 24.5 per cent, at Rs 12,778.9 crore in the three months ended June, as compared to Rs 10,256.7 crore in the year ago quarter. NTPC has a total generation capacity of above 30,000 Mw, around a fifth of the country’s. It plans to increase its installed capacity to 50,000 mw by the end of the current Plan period ending March 2012.

Its share price at the Bombay Stock Exchange today closed up 1.71 per cent at Rs 214.45 compared to the previous day.