COPENHAGEN, May 2 (Reuters) - Danish renewable energy

company Orsted reported on Thursday a rise in

first-quarter operating profit that matched expetations thanks

to higher earnings from its offshore wind farms, and confirmed

its full-year guidance.

Orsted in February initiated a turnaround drive that

included trimming its investment and capacity targets, after it

announced some $5.6 billion of impairments in late 2023 and its

finance and operations chiefs stepped down.

Quarterly earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and

amortisation (EBITDA) excluding new partnerships rose 8% to 7.49

billion Danish crowns ($1.08 billion) from a year ago, in line

with 7.44 billion expected by analysts in a company-provided

poll.

Earnings from offshore wind farms totalled 6.9 billion

crowns, 1.1 billion more than last year, driven by strong winds

and a ramp-up of Orsted's Greater Changhua 1 and 2a in Taiwan,

and South Fork off New York State, the company said.

"We remain focused on project execution and on de-risking

the continued supply chain challenges in the industry," CEO Mads

Nipper said in a statement.

The company kept its 2024 forecast for EBITDA excluding new

partnerships unchanged at between 23 billion and 26 billion

Danish crowns.

($1 = 6.9582 Danish crowns)