(LEAD) Doosan Enerbility swings to black in Q3 on solid energy biz

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SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean power plant equipment maker Doosan Enerbility Co. said Thursday it turned to black in the third quarter, driven by stronger earnings from its energy business.

Net profit for the July-September period came to 14.9 billion won (US$11.1 million), swinging from a loss of 24 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Operating profit rose 90.6 percent on-year to 261.2 billion won, while sales increased 14.7 percent to 4.44 trillion won.

The company attributed the stronger operating performance to a more favorable mix of higher-margin projects, including nuclear power and gas turbines, and the normalization of costs on certain projects.

Doosan Enerbility said it expects global demand for large nuclear reactors to grow significantly through 2030, eyeing potential orders from projects in the United States, Europe and other markets.

Earlier in the day, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), South Korea's state-run nuclear power operator, said it had ended negotiations with a South Korean construction consortium comprising Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. and Doosan Enerbility over a contract to build two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic, citing disagreements over key terms.

Doosan said its separate contract, signed last December, to supply major equipment, including nuclear reactors, for the Czech project remains unaffected, with preparations proceeding as planned.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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