Biomass based steam generation project by Sterling Agro Industries Ltd.

Audit Analysis

A CDM biomass steam-generation project in India with a confirmed investment-test additionality assessment by SGS UK, but the monitoring report reveals significant operational deviations from the validated parameters (plant load factor 88% vs 70%, feed-water temperature 79°C vs 105°C) that forced a 43% upward revision of the emission reduction and multiple corrective actions. The project's credit claims are broadly conservative relative to actual performance, yet the initial validation accuracy and documentation completeness are undermined by the required PDD revision and unresolved data gaps.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Plant load factor achieved 88.10% versus 70% validated at registration, and feed-water inlet temperature was 79°C versus 105°C, indicating the project operated materially outside its validated envelope (monitoring report, Jan 2013).
• ⚠The annual emission reduction was revised upward from 18,289 to 26,258 tCO₂ (a 43% increase), requiring a revised PDD (v1.6) and a new validation opinion for changes to be submitted to the UNFCCC secretariat.
• ⚠Five corrective actions were raised during verification, including missing host-country approval, incorrect site coordinates, and gaps in the monitoring plan for biomass fuel quantity and NCV measurement.
• ⚠Total verified emission reductions for the 2012 monitoring period are not stated in the extracted record, preventing a direct pro-rata delivery check.

Credit Vintages