EDP power distribution up in first half of 2008

LISBON, July 23 (Reuters) - Portuguese power company EDP (EDP.LS) said on Wednesday its electricity distribution edged up 1.3 percent in Portugal and Spain in the first half of 2008 and rose 2.6 percent in Brazil, where it won more customers.

The company said it could have done better in Spain and Portugal if not for higher-than-usual winter temperatures this year and fewer working days than last year.

EDP's electricity distribution business in Brazil was bolstered by a 5.1 percent increase in the number of clients in the first half of the year to 3.284 million from 3.123 million in the same period last year, the company said.

EDP also said in a statement its natural gas sales on the Iberian Peninsula rose 3.9 percent from the same period of last year, to reach nearly 13.2 gigawatt hours in energy output terms. The number of clients in that business area rose 9.7 percent in Portugal and 2.1 percent in Spain.

EDP said electricity sales volumes rose 1.2 percent in Portugal to 24.99 GWh and 1.7 percent in Spain, where power distribution reached 4.91 GWh. The number of clients rose 0.9 percent and 2.2 percent respectively.

The company said the growth in Portugal and Spain showed a recovery in the second quarter.

The company's gas-powered combined cycle generation turbines produced 61 percent more energy for the Iberian market than a year ago as the load factor rose to 63 percent from 50 percent and a new unit went on stream in Spain.

EDP Renewables (EDPR.LS), an EDP subsidiary, said on Monday its wind-powered electricity generation doubled in the first six months of the year to 3,961 gigawatt hours. The unit is the world's fourth-largest wind power operator in terms of installed capacity. (Reporting by Andrei Khalip, editing by Anthony Barker)