NTPC net grows 18%

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NTPC reported 18 per cent jump in net profit during the quarter ended December 2006 to Rs 2,103.3 crore from Rs 1,781.7 crore in the year-ago period. Total income during the period was up 16 per cent to Rs 8,922 crore.

For the nine-month period this year, the country's largest power generating company with a capacity of 26,404 mw, posted 20.6 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 5,130 crore.

Though there was no new capacity added during the quarter, the numbers reflect the increased capacity utilisation of the power plants, especially the gas-based ones.

NTPC has been running its power plants harder during the quarter, with a plant load factor (PLF) of 91.14 per cent in the coal-based stations, compared with 87.83 per cent in the same quarter last year.

The company's gas-based stations have also recorded a higher PLF of 77.17 per cent during the quarter against 64.89 per cent in the same quarter last year. Despite a short-supply of gas, NTPC has been managing to run the plant through imported LNG.

The company plans to add over 1,500 mw capacity in the last quarter of the current year, company officials said.