FEDEPALMA SECTORAL CDM UMBRELLA PROJECT FOR METHANE CAPTURE, FOSSIL FUEL DISPLACEMENT AND COGENERATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

Audit Analysis

This CDM umbrella project for methane capture at Colombian palm-oil mills delivered only about 9% of its ex-ante emission-reduction estimate over the full crediting period, with just 5 of 32 registered plants active during the last monitoring window. A critical contradiction between the PDD (15% quantified leakage) and the monitoring report (0%, deemed negligible) undermines confidence in the leakage treatment, and eight material findings plus four corrective actions signal persistent data-quality and compliance gaps. The project is not over-crediting, but the baseline appears overly optimistic and the documentation record is internally inconsistent.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Leakage deduction dropped from 15% (quantified in the PDD, 2009) to 0% (deemed negligible in the monitoring report, 2020) with no documented re-justification
• ⚠Only 5 of 32 registered extraction plants implemented project activities during the monitoring period, yet credits were issued against the full 32-plant baseline
• ⚠Cumulative emission reductions (453,651 tCO2e) represent only ~9% of the ex-ante estimate (5,299,466 tCO2e), suggesting the baseline was substantially over-estimated
• ⚠Internal contradiction within the same monitoring report on whether methane capture is legally required (stated as both true and false)
• ⚠Flare efficiency was 50% (open flaring) versus the 90% assumed in the PDD, inflating project emissions and reducing net reductions

Credit Vintages

No issuances recorded on the registry.