Prayas- A VER project for the rural communities in Uttarakhand

Audit Analysis

The Prayas biogas and improved cookstove project in Uttarakhand has confirmed additionality via an investment test verified by the VVB, a quantified 5% leakage deduction, and no reported reversal events. However, the project delivered only about 20% of the pro-rata ex-ante expectation for the elapsed monitoring period, and the verification report lists over 30 material findings and 60+ corrective actions, many of which remain unaddressed. The extensive documentation quality issues, parameter inconsistencies across reporting periods, and absence of a buffer pool collectively limit confidence in the project's integrity and claim safety.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified ERR of 37,701 tCO2e represents only ~20% of the pro-rata ex-ante expectation (~187,000 tCO2e) for the 2.25-year monitoring period out of a 7-year crediting period, indicating significant under-delivery or an overly optimistic ex-ante estimate
• ⚠Over 30 material findings and 60+ corrective actions identified in the 2026 verification report, including unaddressed items such as repair of an outlet tank and unit demolition
• ⚠fNRB value changed from 0.72 (2023 VR) to 0.58 (2026 VR) and the method shifted from local field measurement to national default, raising questions about baseline robustness
• ⚠Leakage deduction was 0% in the 2024 verification report but 5% in the 2026 report, with the PDD originally describing leakage as 'deemed negligible' — the justification basis shifted across documents

Credit Vintages