NZ's Contact Energy H1 profit rises 27 pct

WELLINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Contact Energy CEN.NZ , New Zealand's largest listed power company, on Tuesday reported a 27 percent rise in half-year profit as it maintained sales volumes and customer numbers while continuing to reduce energy procurement costs.

Net profit at the energy generator and retailer was NZ$112 million ($93.60 million) in the six months to Dec. 31, compared with NZ$88 million profit a year ago.

The company, whose 10 power stations generate nearly one-third of the country's electricity and controls 23 percent of the retail market, declared a dividend of 11 cents per share, unchanged from a year ago.

Shares in Contact, which is majority owned by Australia's Origin Energy Ltd , closed at NZ$5.19 on Monday, not far from a three-month high of NZ$5.26 hit last month. ($1 = 1.1966 New Zealand dollars)

(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu, editing by David Evans)

((naomi.tajitsu@thomsonreuters.com)(+6448027979)(Reuters Messaging: naomi.tajitsu.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: CONTACT RESULTS/