GS1247 VPA 231 Sierra Leone Safe Water

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard safe-water / thermal-energy-displacement project in Sierra Leone with VVB-confirmed additionality and no reversal events, but undermined by a large discrepancy between the PDD's ex-ante estimate (10,000 ERR) and the verified figure (86,933 ERR), a 0% leakage deduction that contradicts the PDD's 5% assumption, ten cross-document contradictions, and five open findings requiring action. The project's methodology applicability to water-treatment technologies and its sector classification (listed as 'industrial' despite a domestic credit type) raise further questions about the robustness of the credit claim.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠PDD ex-ante ERR estimate of 10,000 is 8.7× lower than the 86,933 ERR verified in the 2024 verification report, suggesting significant over-crediting or scope expansion not clearly documented
• ⚠Leakage deduction of 0% in the verification report contradicts the PDD's 5% assumption; the justification shifts from 'deemed negligible' (monitoring report) to 'quantified' (verification report) without a clear reconciliation
• ⚠Ten contradictions across documents span leakage, ERR, usage rate, fNRB, additionality test type, and crediting period, indicating inconsistent data management
• ⚠Five open findings (FAR 01–05) relate to SDG indicators, fNRB reporting, and monitoring justification at the VPA level, none yet closed
• ⚠Methodology 'Technologies and Practices to Displace Decentralized Thermal Energy Consumption' applied to safe-water boreholes raises applicability concerns; the validation report itself flagged the need for justification

Credit Vintages