UPDATE 1-Tricorona posts Q3 loss, trims CER portfolio

* Q3 pretax loss $1.4 mln vs $6.8 mln yr-ago

* 9-mos sales almost double

* Shares up 5.8 pct at 7.30 crowns at 1033 GMT. (Updates with details, quotes)

LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Clean energy project developers Tricorona (TRIC.ST) posted a third quarter pre-tax loss of 9.8 million Swedish crowns ($1.39 million) on Thursday, and trimmed its 2012 emissions offset portfolio by 27 percent.

Tricorona posted net sales of 43.6 million crowns for the three months ended in September, down 67 percent from 133.9 million posted for the same period last year.

But for the first nine months of 2009, Tricorona nearly doubled its sales and pre-tax profit to 403.8 million crowns and 90.4 million crowns respectively, up from 213.9 million and 41.1 million in the same period in 2008.

Earnings per share were 0.50 crowns compared to a loss of 0.23 crowns a year ago.

Its shares were up 5.8 percent at 7.30 crowns at 1033 GMT.

The Stockholm-based company also cut its portfolio of U.N.-issued Kyoto Protocol carbon offset credits it expects to receive by 2012 to 54.8 million, down from 75 million reported last year.

"The main reasons for this decrease are anticipated delays in the U.N. system in both deliveries and registration of new projects, financing problems and altered volume estimates," the company said in a statement.

"In June the U.N. promised to address the problem, but so far we have not been able to discern any improvement."

Under Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanism, companies like Tricorona can invest in carbon-cutting projects in emerging countries like China and India, and in return receive offsets called Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) which can be sold for profit.

Tricorona estimates its 2009 CER delivery at 4.3 million, a shortfall compared to the 5-6 million previously predicted.

2009 CER futures prices CEREZ9 recently hit a 2009 high of 13.85 euros ($20.41), but are still well below the 2008 average price of around 17.50 euros.

Tricorona said its biggest project to date, a natural gas project in China expected to generate 860,000 CERs per year, was recently registered by the U.N. under the CDM.

During the second quarter, Tricorona said it relocated part of its emissions trading division to its Singapore office, which currently has nine staff. (Reporting by Michael Szabo; Editing by Rupert Winchester)