In a recent financial disclosure, NTPC Ltd, the state-owned power generation company, reported a robust 7.3% year-on-year increase in consolidated net profit for the third quarter ending December 31, 2023. The company’s net profit rose to ₹5,208.9 crore compared to ₹4,854.4 crore in the same period last year, as revealed in a regulatory filing.
However, the consolidated revenue from operations witnessed a 4% decline, amounting to ₹42,820.4 crore in Q3 2023, down from ₹44,601.8 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. At the operating level, consolidated EBITDA experienced a 21.5% dip to ₹11,362.2 crore, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 26.5%, down from 32.5% in the same period last fiscal.
The company’s board of directors has declared a second interim dividend of ₹2.25 per share (22.5% on the face value of ₹10 each) for the financial year 2023-24. This dividend will be payable on February 22, 2024.
NTPC had previously declared a first interim dividend of ₹2.25 per share in October 2023, which was paid in November of the same year.
NTPC’s revenue from operations for the quarter and nine months ending December 31, 2023, includes ₹2,117.12 crore and ₹7,012.90 crore, respectively, from the sale of energy through trading.
The average tariff for the company during April-December 2023 was ₹4.57 per unit, showing a decrease from ₹4.96 per unit in the corresponding period a year ago. The gross electricity generation of NTPC increased to 89.467 billion units during Q3, up from 78.646 billion units in the year-ago period.
Furthermore, coal output increased to 8.09 MMT in the quarter, compared to 5.35 MMT a year ago. Plant load factor for coal-based thermal power plants improved to 75.95% in the quarter from 68.85% in the same period last year.
The domestic coal supply improved to 60.23 MMT in Q3, up from 52.45 MMT in the same period last fiscal. Gas consumption also increased to 2.26 MMSCMD from 1.13 MMSCMD. NTPC Group’s installed power generation capacity stood at 73,874 MW as of December 31, 2023.
The positive financial results were well-received by the market, with NTPC Ltd shares closing at ₹324.65, reflecting a 3.11% increase on the BSE.
