Proyecto Hidroeléctrico El Quimbo

Audit Analysis

El Quimbo is a well-established hydroelectric project in Colombia using the standard ACM0002 methodology, with additionality confirmed by TÜV SÜD and a reasonable 0% leakage deduction for a grid-displacement project. However, multiple contradictions in ERR figures, ex-ante lifetime estimates, and crediting periods across documents raise data-reliability concerns, and the absence of a stated buffer pool or baseline reassessment date leaves gaps in permanence and baseline robustness. The project is fundamentally sound but its documentation consistency needs improvement.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Ex-ante lifetime ERR differs by ~24% between the PDD (14.17 MtCO₂) and the monitoring report (10.82 MtCO₂), creating uncertainty about the true baseline credit volume
• ⚠Crediting period stated as 2015–2035 in the verification report but 2020–2040 in the validation report, a 5-year shift that affects pro-rata calculations
• ⚠Total ERR claimed in the verification report (1,278,226 tCO₂) exceeds the verified/issued amount (966,404 tCO₂) by ~32%, indicating a material adjustment during verification that is not fully explained
• ⚠Baseline method is recorded as both 'project' and 'jurisdictional' within the same verification report, an internal inconsistency that undermines baseline clarity

Credit Vintages