Zano Solar Power

Audit Analysis

The Zano Solar Power project in Burkina Faso is a renewable energy project with a jurisdictional baseline and VVB-confirmed additionality, but it is undermined by a major discrepancy in the lifetime emission reduction estimate (179,124 vs 317,217 tCO2), a contradiction on whether FPIC was conducted, and the VVB's inability to perform a physical site visit due to security threats. The 26 corrective action requests and 28 outstanding corrective actions signal significant documentation and verification quality issues that temper confidence in the project's integrity and transparency.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Major contradiction in lifetime ex-ante ERR: the PDD (2023) states 317,217 tCO2 while the monitoring report (2026) states 179,124 tCO2 — a 43% gap that materially affects the pro-rata delivery assessment
• ⚠FPIC contradiction: the verification report (2026-06-01) states FPIC was not conducted, while the monitoring report (2026-05-07) states it was conducted
• ⚠VVB was unable to conduct a physical site visit due to severe security threats (terrorist attacks, coups); an exemption was granted from VCS Standard Section 4.1.9
• ⚠26 corrective action requests were raised during verification, and 28 corrective actions remain required, indicating pervasive documentation gaps
• ⚠Additionality test type is contradictory: the validation report of 2024-10-10 records an investment test, while the earlier validation report of 2024-09-13 records a combined test

Credit Vintages