African Biogas Carbon Programme (ABC) - Tanzania - CAMARTEC - VPA002

Audit Analysis

The African Biogas Carbon Programme in Tanzania is a VVB-verified Gold Standard project with confirmed additionality and no reversal events, but it suffers from severe operational shortfalls: fewer than half the planned digesters were installed, the verified usage rate is roughly 60% of the ex-ante assumption, and the project was not actively operated during 2022. The VVB (TÜV NORD CERT) identified and required correction of numerous data inconsistencies, a double-counting error, and 18 outstanding corrective actions, while the CP2 renewal has been delayed by more than four years and a deviation request was rejected by Gold Standard.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified usage rate of 59.62% is less than 60% of the 100% ex-ante assumption, indicating the original credit estimate was based on an unrealistically high utilisation rate
• ⚠Only 4,437 digesters were installed versus 9,928 in the ex-ante estimate — fewer than half the planned units
• ⚠The project was not actively implemented or operated during the 2022 monitoring period, creating a gap in continuity and permanence
• ⚠21 digesters were removed from the database (12 for permanent non-operation, 7 destroyed/abandoned, 2 via VVB audit), signalling significant physical asset loss
• ⚠A double-counting error in the usage rate within the ER calculation was identified and corrected by the VVB, raising questions about the robustness of the MRV process

Credit Vintages