GHG emission reductions through pre-heat train optimization in the CDU and VDU of Digboi Refinery,, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Assam Oil Division)

Audit Analysis

A CDM energy-efficiency project at the Digboi Refinery with a solid additionality assessment (combined test confirmed by DNV) and a measured project-specific baseline. The most significant concern is a large discrepancy between the ex-ante emission-reduction estimate (2,693 tCO2e over the full crediting period) and the verified figure for the first two-year monitoring period (4,871 tCO2e), which is roughly nine times the pro-rata expectation. Safeguards documentation is thin, with no grievance mechanism or free, prior, and informed consent process recorded.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified ERR of 4,871 tCO2e for the first ~2-year monitoring period is approximately 904% of the pro-rata ex-ante expectation (~539 tCO2e), raising questions about either the conservatism of the original estimate or the robustness of the monitoring calculation
• ⚠Crediting-period start date differs between the validation report (2008-05-01) and the monitoring report (2008-12-04), creating ambiguity about the exact project timeline
• ⚠No grievance mechanism, free prior and informed consent, or stakeholder-engagement details are documented in the available record
• ⚠No functional-newness / reference-baseline (FN-RB) methodology or usage-monitoring method is stated in the extracted data

Credit Vintages