Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project

Audit Analysis

The Hongera cookstove project has a sound core design with VVB-verified investment additionality and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but is significantly undermined by 18+ material findings spanning data traceability errors, formula inconsistencies, and physical stove defects, along with six contradictions between documents on key parameters. The project delivered roughly 48% of its pro-rata ex-ante expectation for the elapsed monitoring period, which is conservative but suggests the lifetime estimate was optimistic. Overall, the project is functional but carries elevated data-quality and documentation risk that warrants close scrutiny before credit purchase.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠18+ material findings (CARs and CLs) across verification and monitoring reports, including untraceable ER spreadsheet values, formula errors in SDG 13 and leakage calculations, and data-entry errors in the Baseline Field Test statistical file
• ⚠Physical observations of stove cracks, inconsistent liner installation, and unreported fuel types during remote survey (CAR#05), raising durability and performance concerns for an energy-efficiency project
• ⚠Six contradictions between documents on key parameters including ERR figures, FNRB value, FPIC status, FNRB method, and usage monitoring method
• ⚠Corrective action requires revising the baseline estimate calculation to reflect actual distribution rather than the ex-ante average, suggesting the original baseline may not represent real conditions

Credit Vintages