Boiler Fuel Conversion from RFO to Biomass Based Briquettes at Pfizer Limited, Thane (M.S.), India

Audit Analysis

A CDM biomass fuel-switching project at Pfizer Thane with a VVB-confirmed combined additionality test and conservative under-delivery of emissions reductions (46% of pro-rata expectation), but weakened by a project-specific baseline, contradictory leakage justifications across documents, and a shift from measured to calculated monitoring for several inputs. The project is well-documented with high extraction confidence, though several operational details remain unreported.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Leakage justification is contradictory: the validation report (2007) states leakage was 'deemed negligible' while the monitoring report (2010) states it was 'quantified', yet both documents apply a 0% deduction — the basis for the zero deduction is unclear
• ⚠Multiple monitoring inputs (diesel for biomass and briquette transport, electricity at the briquetting plant) were changed from measured to calculated values during the monitoring period, a change the EB questioned and the DOE defended as falling under estimation rather than monitoring
• ⚠The PDD initially cited the wrong methodology (Type III.B) before being corrected to AMS-I.C, indicating a documentation error at registration
• ⚠Total verified ERR is not reported in the extracted record, preventing independent verification of the 5,721 tCO₂e figure from the monitoring report

Credit Vintages