DONATIONS AND SUPPORTED CARBON OFFSETTING PROJECTS
India: Malavalli Power Plant
Crop waste power plant
Malavalli Power Plant is the World's first ‘Gold Standard' project to have its CERs issued. The Plant generates clean, renewable electricity from crop waste such as coconut fronds and sugar cane residuals. It reduces CO2 emissions by around 20,000 tonnes per year.
The project directly creates at least 500 local jobs in the power plant and in the collection of the agricultural waste that the Plant uses as fuel. Local farmers are now getting paid for crop waste that was previously burned or left to rot. The project directly contributes around US $1 million to the rural economy. Waste from the power plant is environmentally beneficial as an organic fertilizer. The Plant supplies reliable electricity for around 10,000 people in 47 villages. Reliable electricity further stimulates local economic activity.
China: Gansu Shimenping Hydropower Station, Zhouqu County
Run-of-river hydropower
The Gansu Shimenping Hydropower Station is located in Zhouqu County in North West China. Zhouqu County is a designated ‘national poverty county' in which the local population lives in extreme poverty. Shimenping is a "run-of-river" power station. Instead of building a large dam which would flood valuable agricultural land and disturb wildlife, the project uses the natural flow of the river to generate clean electricity. A small amount of flood-prone land will be lost due to the project. However, protection barriers will be constructed to protect against landslides and flooding, creating an additional 100,000 square metres of protected farmland. Previously cut off for much of the flood season, a road has now been built into Shimenping village, thus improving access to education and healthcare for the local community. The project also provides employment in this remote part of China.
The project reduces emissions by avoiding the need for electricity from coal-fired power plants. Annual reductions are expected to be around 67,000 tonnes, equivalent to the domestic energy emissions (i.e. gas and electricity) of around 12,000 UK homes.
Brazil: BK Energia Itacoatiara Power Plant
Renewable energy and forest preservation
Itacoatiara is a power plant that uses waste wood from sustainably-managed forests as a fuel, replacing electricity generated from polluting diesel generators. Renewable energy is generated for an area in the Amazon with a population of around 80,000. Waste wood is used from about 450,000 hectares of sustainably-managed and FSC certified Amazon forest. Sustainable harvesting means that no more than 5 trees are harvested per hectare every 25 years and that low-impact logging techniques are applied in order to preserve the wildlife and to protect the forest canopy. In addition, 25% of the forest is set aside for absolute preservation and access to the forest is controlled to prevent illegal deforestation and the hunting of endangered species. The project's other main environmental benefit is to protect an area of forest of around 1,800 square miles - roughly three times the size of Greater London. Carbon emissions are reduced by around 165,000 tonnes per year. This is equivalent to the domestic energy emissions of a UK town of 60,000 people such as Scarborough.
China: Ningxia Tianjing Shenzhou Wind Farm
Wind power
This wind farm is located in a dry, desert-like region of China. Though relatively poor, the region's economy is growing. Coal is cheap and plentiful in this area of China, and without the revenue from the sale of carbon credits, the wind farm would simply not be price-competitive with electricity from polluting coal-fired stations. The project, which began operating in 2004, consists of a total of 36 wind turbines generating 70.38 giga watt-hours of clean electricity each year, reducing carbon emissions by around 50,000 tonnes per year - equivalent to removing about 17,000 average British cars off the road each year. As well as reducing carbon emissions, the project also avoids other forms of air pollution. It is estimated that the wind farm prevents emissions of 170 tonnes of sulphur dioxide - which causes acid rain - each year and around 280 tonnes of nitrogen oxide (NOx), which causes smog and respiratory disease. One of the additional benefits of the project is the stimulation of the growth of the wind power industry in Ningxia. Local engineers and technicians receive invaluable training through the implementation of the project. Likewise, the project uses "variable pitch" wind turbines which automatically adjust themselves depending on wind speed. The project also benefits local tourism by providing electricity to the famous historical site, Xi Xia Emperor's Tomb.
