Betulia Energy and Biodiversity Restoration Project in Honduras
GS-222
Score Breakdown
Integrity
verified Additionality was tested using a barrier analysis and the VVB confirmed it in the verification report.
missing Leakage is only described as negligible in one document, while another report says it was not addressed; no quantified deduction is available.
Transparency
verified The monitoring period and verification report are clearly identified, and the verification report provides claimed versus verified emission reductions.
missing The project is marked not in the public registry, and usage monitoring details are not stated in the extracted record.
Claim Safety
verified The project uses a project-specific baseline and is an avoidance project under Gold Standard methodology AMS-I.D.
missing No buffer pool percentage, CORSIA status, or CCP status is stated, and the verified emissions reduction figure differs from an earlier verification round.
Documentation
verified Multiple official documents were used, including a verification report, monitoring report, and PDD, with high extraction confidence.
missing The crediting period changed between the PDD and the later verification report, and some key fields such as baseline reassessment timing are not stated.
Detailed Analysis
Integrity
The verification report confirms additionality through a barrier test, and it reports no material findings or corrective actions required. Integrity is weakened by the lack of a buffer pool figure, no reversal information, and leakage that is described as negligible in one report but not addressed in another. The project uses a project-specific baseline, but the absence of a recent baseline reassessment leaves some methodological uncertainty.
Transparency
The documentation identifies the VVB, the monitoring period from 2022-01-01 to 2024-12-31, and both claimed and verified emission reductions. Transparency is reduced because the project is not in the public registry and the extracted record does not state the usage monitoring method. The absence of public registry visibility makes independent cross-checking harder.
Claim Safety
Claim safety is moderate because the project is an avoidance activity under Gold Standard methodology AMS-I.D and the VVB confirmed additionality. Risk remains because leakage is not consistently treated, the buffer pool is not stated, and neither CORSIA eligibility nor CCP status is available. The verified emissions reduction also differs from an earlier verification figure, which raises over-crediting and claim-consistency concerns.
Documentation
Documentation quality is fair: the record draws on multiple official documents, including a verification report, monitoring report, and PDD, and extraction confidence is high. Still, several important items are missing, including baseline reassessment timing, buffer pool coverage, and usage monitoring details. The crediting period also differs between the PDD and the later verification report, suggesting the document set is not fully harmonized.
Overall
I privileged the later verification report for the verified emissions reduction and crediting-period information because it is more recent and project-specific, while the PDD provides the earlier baseline context. I also privileged the verification report’s statement that leakage is negligible over the monitoring report’s earlier lack of leakage treatment, but the contradiction itself lowers reliability. Overall quality is moderate, but the combination of incomplete leakage evidence, missing permanence safeguards, and non-public registry status keeps the score from being higher.
Audit Analysis
This is a moderately documented avoidance project with VVB-confirmed additionality and no material findings reported in the verification report. However, key elements of leakage treatment, permanence protection, and registry/claim status are incomplete or not publicly clear, which limits confidence in the credit claim.
Project Description
A lack of access to electrical energy is a major issue in the north region of the Republic of Honduras. This small run-of-river hydroelectric generating power plant is providing renewable energy to the national grid (displacing traditional fossil fueled power plants), whilst improving the quality of electricity for local communities in the department of Colon. Improved access to electricity also reduces the dependency on fuel wood, helping to relieve deforestation pressures in the local environment. The power plant has a total installed capacity of 6.8 MW and generates up to 23,000 MWh of green energy per year - the equivalent to the energy consumed by 5000 western style families. The Betulia project has contributed significantly to the reforestation of predominantly native tree species in the Betulia Valley in Honduras. Since the start of the project in 2014, an area of 5.613ha in the Betulia Valley has been successively reforested in near natural mixed forest plantations with mainly native tree species. There are multiple ecological and socio-economic benefits for local communities and the environment. The project is developed by Renewable Energy Developers S.A. (RED SA), international partner of Global Climate Partnership Netherlands. Project impacts and benefits: 11,000 trees have been planted around the run-of-river small hydro generation plant as a contribution to the local community and to support local biodiversity, this has lead to the preservation of 100,000 fish and the recovery of degraded soils along the riverbank. 6.8 MW turbine capacity in operation since October 2015 Up to 23,000 MWh clean energy provided to the local electricity grid each year 26 jobs have been created of which 25 employees have been hired locally to operate and maintain the plant and protect the local environment Financial aid and contributions are provided in kind to the amount of $97 ,000 USD , improving the human and insti
Red Flags
- Leakage treatment is inconsistent across documents: one report says it is negligible, while another says it was not addressed.
- Verified emissions reductions changed materially between verification rounds, and the project is not in the public registry, which weakens claim transparency.
- Buffer pool size not disclosed in available documents
Credit Vintages
| Issued | Retired | Available | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 709 | 709 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 12,459 | 12,459 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 12,400 | 11,484 | 916 | |
| 2018 | 11,036 | 4,244 | 6,792 | |
| 2019 | 7,168 | 1,163 | 6,005 | |
| Total | 43,772 | 30,059 | 13,713 |
Cosa migliorerebbe questo punteggio
- Publish a clear, quantified leakage assessment and reconcile the conflicting leakage statements across documents.
- Disclose permanence safeguards such as buffer pool treatment, and make registry/claim status publicly verifiable.
Questi suggerimenti indicano quali prove pubbliche aggiuntive potrebbero migliorare il livello di confidenza di questa valutazione. Non garantiscono un punteggio futuro più alto.
Risk Indicators
VVB-confirmed barrier test
No buffer pool stated
Negligible claim, inconsistent support
Project baseline, reassessment timing missing
FPIC and grievance mechanism documented
Registry/claim status not stated
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