4K Earth Science Private Limited has been contracted by ‘Omnihydro Limited’ to undertake verification of the project activity “Mushishito - Rukarara V hydropower project” in Rwanda. The verification was performed based on rules and requirements defined by GCC for the project activity.

The Rukakara V and Mushishito Hydro Power Plant are greenfield projects located on the Rukakara and Mushishito rivers respectively in the district of Nyamagabe, Rwanda.

The hydropower project is composed of a run-of-river hydropower plant with pondage, consisting of capacities of 3.15 MW for Rukakara V and 2.28 MW for Mushishito totalling 5.43 MW /24/, with an overall estimated average gross electricity generation of 26,195 MWh per year /08/. The plants are connected via a 30kV transmission line to the national grid.

The project uses three turbines, one at Mushishito Pelton type of 2,280 kW and a generator, and two turbines at Rukarara of Francis type of 1,575 kW and two generators. The technical details has been verified during remote audit and from the photos /24/ and found in order.

Both the units have been commissioned (Mushishito on 23/05/2019 and Rukarara V on 03/03/2022) as verified from commission supportive /26/ and found OK.

The electricity generated from project activity is exported to the national grid in Rwanda through power purchase agreement /09/ with EUCL, there by displacing electricity from the national grid generated by fossil fuel-based power plants. Thus, the project activity would be generating average 26,195 MWh/year electricity and displacing equivalent amount of electricity from the connected National Grid of Rwanda that would be provided to the grid by more-GHG-intensive means. In the baseline scenario, the equivalent amount of electricity delivered to the grid by the project activity would have otherwise been generated by the operation of grid connected power plants and by the addition of new generation sources into the grid. The main emission source in the baseline scenario is the power plants connected to the grid and main greenhouse gas involved is CO₂.

The project correctly applies the approved baseline and monitoring AMS-I.D. Grid connected renewable electricity generation, Version 18.0 and is assessed against latest valid PS, VS and Environment and Social Safeguards Standard, Project-Sustainability-Standard and/or other applicable GCC/CDM Decisions/Tools/Guidance/Forms.

The project activity is likely to achieve the anticipated emission reductions stated in the PSF provided the underlying assumptions do not change. The expected emission reductions (annual average) from the project activity are estimated to be 9,124 tCO₂e/year over the 10 years crediting period starting from 23/05/2019.

4K Earth Science Private Limited has verified and hereby certifies that the GCC Project Activity “Mushishito - Rukarara V hydropower project”:

·        has correctly described the Project Activity in the Project Submission Form (version 4.1, dated 17/08/2023) including the applicability of the approved methodology AMS-I.D. Grid connected renewable electricity generation, Version 18.0 and meets the methodology applicability conditions, is additional and is expected to achieve the forecasted real measurable and additional GHG emission reductions, complies with the monitoring methodology, has appropriately conducted local and global stakeholder consultation processes and has calculated emission reduction estimates correctly and conservatively;

·        is likely to generate GHG emission reductions amounting to the estimated 91,238 tCO_2eq over the fixed crediting period of ten years, as indicated in the PSF, which are additional to the reductions that are likely to occur in absence of the Project Activity and complies with all applicable GCC rules, including ISO 14064-2 and ISO 14064-3, and therefore requests the GCC Program to register the Project Activity.

·        is not likely to cause any net-harm to the environment and/or society and complies with the Environmental and Social Safeguards Standard, and therefore requests the GCC Program to register the Project Activity, which is likely to achieve the requirements of the Environmental No-net-harm Label (E+) and the Social No-net-harm Label (S+); and

·        is likely to contribute to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), comply with the Project Sustainability Standard, and contribute to achieving a total of 3 SDGs, which is likely to achieve the Silver SDG certification label (SDG+).

·        The Project Activity complies with all the applicable requirement of the GCC Program and ICAO’s requirements on CORSIA Emissions Unit Eligibility Criteria and CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units, as per Clarification No 1, v1.3 paragraph 23-25, and the ACCs expected to be issued during the crediting period is likely to be CORSIA eligible and can be used by International Airlines for offsetting their emissions during all phases of CORSIA and therefore requests GCC Steering Committee to append CORSIA Certification label (C+) to this project