The renewables sector is feeling the impact as COVID-19 begins to cause huge global disruption to supply chains. The renewables sector is heavily reliant on global supply chains for raw materials and components, as well as an available workforce to physically build, operate & maintain the power plants.
Whilst we note that Chinese factories are now at various stages of restarting and ramping back up capacity, production across the rest of the globe is currently being hindered and disrupted. Examples of the practical impacts COVID-19 is having in the renewables sector supply chain are:
Renewables is also a sector packed with tight contractual deadlines and liquidated damages (“pauschalierter Schadensersatz”) and/or penalties (“Vertragsstrafen”) for delay. Some project developers as well as utilities/generators need to grant a relief to their EPC and O&M Contractors, having no or little chance to mitigate the loss or damages. There are also often deployment deadlines in countries’ auction systems, however there has been a positive note by the German Federal Network Agency (“BNetzA” – see in German).
The above all means that customers and suppliers are keen to understand their liabilities under their contracts should COVID-19 cause delay, and to work collaboratively to find solutions. Of particular interest is on which remedies a party may rely on in case of COVID-19 (such as suspension, termination or entitlement to increased costs under the change in law clause).
This note looks at how German contract law on force majeure applies to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights other contractual hints and tips that both customers and suppliers should be aware of.