Solid Waste to Energy Production Facility Sonepat

Audit Analysis

The Sonepat waste-to-energy project has a VVB-confirmed additionality assessment and no reported reversal events, but is undermined by 23 material findings—including ERR calculation errors (incorrect N2O GWP, PLF, and PECOM values)—and 35+ corrective actions. The verified ERR for the first ~14-month monitoring period is only about one-third of the pro-rata expectation derived from the PDD's lifetime estimate, raising questions about baseline realism. Documentation quality is weak, with missing EIA, public comment, and stakeholder consultation details, and FPIC was not conducted.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠23 material findings in the verification report, including ERR/IRR calculation errors (incorrect GWP for N2O, incorrect PLF, incorrect PECOM_CH4,N2O,c,y) that directly affect credit quantity
• ⚠Verified ERR of 65,611 tCO₂e for the ~14-month monitoring period is only ~33% of the pro-rata expectation (~201,000 tCO₂e) derived from the PDD's 1,654,711 tCO₂e lifetime estimate, suggesting possible baseline overestimation or prolonged ramp-up
• ⚠Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) was not conducted, and EIA process details, public comment period, and local stakeholder meeting details are missing from the project documentation
• ⚠35+ corrective actions were required by the VVB, spanning calculation errors, missing sections, inconsistent tool references, and absent calibration/auditing procedures
• ⚠Leakage justification is contradictory: the PDD characterises it as 'deemed negligible' while the verification report states it was 'quantified', yet both documents apply a 0% deduction

Credit Vintages