National Toll Roads increased its revenue and boosted its coffers from the sale of the West Link toll bridge, but group operating profit fell during the six months to September 2007.
When the €420.4 million proceeds from the sale of the bridge, which was bought by the National Roads Authority, was included in the company's figures, its exceptional pre-tax profit totalled €426.8 million.
However, exceptional items aside, group operating profit reached only €6.5 million. This compares to €9.4 million for the same period a year earlier.
Group revenue for the six-month period reached €281.6 million, a 36.7 per cent rise on the same period in 2006. The NTR Group made capital investments of €393.3 million, which includes acquisitions of €57.7 million, a rise of more than 47 per cent on the six month period to September 2006.
Elsewhere, losses in the group's Bioverda division, which is experiencing a difficult biodiesel market in Germany, were offset bystronger performances in Greenstar and Airtricity.
Greenstar (Ireland) acquired three companies in the waste management sector, while its UK arm completed the acquisition of Network Waste Solutions, and announced plans to invest £7 million in developing a materials recycling facility near Birmingham. Meanwhile Greenstar NA, which is based in Texas, bought Todd Heller and Delta Management Group during the six-month period.
The group has since bought two more companies, while Airtricity has sold its North American division.
