A Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) services provider has argued that local renewable- energy projects benefiting from gov- ernment’s renewable-energy feed-in- tariff (Refit) programme would qualify for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) carbon credits, despite misgivings having been expressed recently by some project developers.
Blue World Carbon Asset Management director Joost van Lier says that the com- pany, as part of a global network of carbon developers, has extensive in-house expe- rience in developing CDM projects in several countries and does not believe that Refit projects will be dismissed by the CDM executive board.
Blue World Carbon is currently working on five wind farm and four solar site CDM projects in South Africa for two renewable-energy developers, Mulilo Renewable Energy and Ventusa Energy.
“We have studied the international rules governing the CDM carefully in the context of the South African Refit programme and believe that many of these projects could qualify for the CDM. “The rules governing the CDM are cognisant of the fact that the ultimate goal of the programme and the Kyoto Protocol is to stimulate clean technolo- gies in developing countries,” he says.
These rules include special provisions that avoid giving developing countries carbon credits for projects that would have been implemented anyway and which still allow clean-tech projects that meet certain additionality requirements to qualify for carbon credits regardless of whether they benefit from feed-in tariffs or not.
Blue World Carbon is aware of renew- able-energy projects successfully registered under the CDM in other developing countries that also benefit from feed-in tariffs from their national government.
“Project developers must work with professional CDM consultants and partners who understand the CDM mechanism in detail and are able to promote Refit projects all through the CDM project cycle from project idea right through project design document preparation to project validation and registration,” he says.
Having experience in the CDM and working with the United Nations Frame- work Convention on Climate Change methodologies and guidelines, the company is aware of allowances on certain clean technologies in CDM countries.
