SUVIDHA’s Decentralized Energy Interventions for Rural Communities in India VPA – 4 (Himachal Pradesh, IndiGo)

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard biogas and cookstove project in Himachal Pradesh with VVB-confirmed additionality, FPIC, and a 5% leakage deduction, but undermined by an extensive list of corrective actions, multiple cross-document contradictions in key parameters (usage rate, fNRB method, crediting period), and a verified ERR figure that is roughly 280–335% of the pro-rata ex-ante expectation for the elapsed crediting period. The project-specific baseline, absence of a stated buffer pool, and unresolved documentation gaps limit confidence in the integrity and claim-safety of the credits.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified ERR of 18,191 tCO₂e represents roughly 280–335% of the pro-rata ex-ante expectation (43,242 tCO₂e over 20 years) for the elapsed monitoring period, and a material finding notes a 'correction in the number of ICS considered,' suggesting the initial device count was understated and later revised upward.
• ⚠28+ corrective actions and 8 material findings remain open, including missing unique IDs on cookstoves and biogas plants, missing ODA declarations, missing grievance process documentation, and an unexplained discrepancy between the expected device lifespan (2–3 years) and the assumed operational lifetime (6 years).
• ⚠Crediting period start date differs by six months between the verification report (2022-01-20) and the monitoring report (2022-07-31), creating ambiguity about the exact crediting window and the pro-rata baseline for ERR expectations.
• ⚠No buffer pool percentage or reversal-event history is stated in any available document, leaving permanence risk for biogas plants and cookstoves unquantified.

Credit Vintages