Nepal Biogas Support Program-CPA 9: 17,304 digesters

Audit Analysis

A large-scale Nepal biogas programme (17,304 digesters) under Gold Standard with a combined additionality test, 5% quantified leakage deduction, and national-default FNRB. However, the VVB did not explicitly confirm additionality, no buffer pool or permanence mechanism is documented, and nine corrective actions remain open, indicating meaningful documentation and verification gaps. The project is delivering well above its pro-rata ex-ante expectation, reducing over-crediting risk, but the sharp decline in verified ERRs between 2021 and 2024 warrants scrutiny.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Additionality was not explicitly confirmed by the VVB; a corrective action request was raised and closed on the basis that the PoA is deemed additional, but no independent VVB sign-off is recorded
• ⚠Nine corrective actions remain open, including submission of technical data, grievance mechanism records, MoU documents, and updated PoA-DD applicability conditions
• ⚠Verified ERRs dropped from 426,625 (2021 verification) to 161,180 (2024 verification), a 62% decline that may reflect digester attrition or scope changes
• ⚠No physical on-site inspection was conducted for the 2024 verification due to COVID-19 restrictions; alternative means were used

Credit Vintages