[THE INVESTOR] Korea Electric Power Corp. has suffered a deficit in its investment business while it has drawn massive income from the power rate hike and the increase in the demand for power, data showed Aug. 24.

According to the National Assembly and KEPCO, the state-run company's sales rose by 11.4 percent to 483,655 gigawatt-hour last year over the past five years while the revenue soared by 44.3 percent to 54 trillion won ($48 billion).

The average power rate, in the meantime, increased by nearly 30 percent to 111.6 won per kilowatt-hour.

KEPCO, however, has suffered a deficit in its investment business, jointly pushed with a German energy firm.

In July 2011, KEPCO and UHDE high Pressure Technologies established a joint business called KEPCO-UHDE with the aim of boosting the integrated gasification combined-cycle power system. The project, however, has only seen deficits, with the worst deficit recorded 1.7 billion won in 2012. The annual net loss also pointed at around 270 million won to 1.3 billion won in the past five years. 





(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)