Henan Grouped Biogas Recovery and Utilization Project

Audit Analysis

A VCS biogas project in China with VVB-confirmed additionality and no reported reversal events, but undermined by two material findings in baseline parameters (Np,y and Wsite inconsistencies), eight corrective actions, a project-specific modeled baseline, and contradictory documentation on FPIC and leakage justification. The project delivered exactly what it claimed for the 18-month monitoring period, but the absence of a lifetime ex-ante figure, buffer pool details, and end-use tracking limits confidence in long-term claim integrity.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Two material findings in the verification report: inconsistent Np,y values for marketing swine between the PDD table and spreadsheet, and inconsistent Wsite parameter application across Pingyu and Shangcai farms — both directly affect baseline emission calculations
• ⚠Eight corrective actions required by the VVB, including justifying Wsite values against IPCC defaults and explaining sample size methodology, indicating unresolved data-quality concerns in the baseline
• ⚠Contradiction between the verification report (FPIC conducted: yes) and the monitoring report (FPIC conducted: no), both dated 2025-03-17, creating uncertainty about free, prior, and informed consent
• ⚠Leakage justification is inconsistent: the verification report states 'quantified' while the monitoring report states 'deemed negligible', yet both result in a 0% deduction with no quantified leakage figure provided
• ⚠No buffer pool percentage, permanence claim duration, or reversal-risk mitigation mechanism is documented in the available record

Credit Vintages Exhausted