NTPC Q3 Profit Rises 10.7% To Rs. 3,315 Crore, Rs. 3 Per Share Dividend Declared

NTPC on Thursday reported a 10.7 per cent year-on-year increase in its net profit for October-December quarter of the ongoing financial year at Rs 3,315 crore. The state-owned company’s revenue from operations rose 4.3 per cent to Rs 24,509 crore during December quarter from Rs 23,496 crore in the year-ago quarter. Led by a 14 per cent increase in finance costs, total expenses rose 5.4 per cent to Rs 21,707 crore.

On a consolidated basis, NTPC’s net profit during December quarter rose 15.4 per cent to Rs 3,766 crore, while revenue increased 4 per cent to Rs 27,526 crore.

Its gross power generation rose 6.9 per cent year-on-year to 65.418 billion units during the quarter. The standalone installed capacity rose 1,475 MW to 51,170 MW as on December 31, 2020, while the corresponding number for NTPC Group increased 4,819 MW to 62,975 MW.

NTPC produced 2.566 million metric tonnes (MMT) of coal from captive mines during the quarter, 1.26 per cent higher than 2.53 MMT in the year-ago quarter. Plant load factor for the company’s coal-based power plants was at 64.31 per cent as against 63.48 per cent in October-December 2019.

While the plant load factor for solar and wind plants was slightly higher at 16.87 per cent and 17.44 per cent, respectively, it declined year-on-year for gas and hydro plants to 6.76 per cent and 20.40 per cent, respectively.

The average tariff for nine months ended December 2020 stood at Rs 3.87 per unit. NTPC’s gas consumption fell over 40 per cent to 1,460 million metric standard cubic metre per day (mmscmd).
NTPC’s board also declared an interim dividend of Rs. 3 per share.

“Pursuant to the approval of Board of Directors of the Company for buyback of equity shares in its meeting held on 2 November, the company has brought back 19,78,91,146 equity shares of the company for an aggregate amount of Rs. 2,275 crore, being 2% of the total paid up equity share capital at Rs. 115 per equity share,” NTPC said.