Guangzhou Xingfeng Landfill Gas Recovery and Electricity Generation CDM Project

Audit Analysis

A CDM landfill gas project with a solid VVB-confirmed additionality assessment and no inherent reversal risk, but undermined by a project-specific baseline using a 2004 grid emission factor, a 0% leakage deduction with contradictory justifications across documents, and a significant under-delivery (only ~18% of pro-rata expectation) driven by the fact that only 8 of 18 planned generators were ever installed. The project is well-documented with a reputable VVB, but the age of the grid factor and the absence of CORSIA/CCP clarity limit confidence in the credit's long-term integrity.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Only 8 of 18 planned generators were installed by the end of the monitoring period, resulting in actual emissions reductions of roughly 18% of the pro-rata expectation for the elapsed crediting period
• ⚠Grid emission factor of 0.77835 tCO2/MWh is from 2004 and was applied to a project operating 2008–2015, potentially overstating baseline reductions as China's grid decarbonised
• ⚠Leakage justification is contradictory: the verification report (Dec 2012) states it was 'quantified' while the monitoring report (Jul 2012) describes it as 'deemed negligible', with a 0% deduction applied
• ⚠Eleven clarifications (CLARs) were required during validation, indicating the initial PDD was substantially incomplete on safeguards, baseline documentation, and monitoring plan details

Credit Vintages