Barbora Bechnak is a speaker at the Floating Offshore Wind Turbines 2021. Join us in Saint Malo, France on 17 November 2021.

Skowronnek & Bechnak Japan is the Brand Sponsor and speaker at the Japan Wind Energy 2021. Join us in Yokohama on 13 October 2021.

Skowronnek & Bechnak with DEHN detect Lightning Measurement Systems introduces the latest stage of detection systems and insurability...

We are proudly announcing the establishment of the Japanese company – Skowronnek & Bechnak Japan Co. Ltd. (株式会社) on 21 December 2020. Following upon the opening of the Tokyo office in September 2019 and the trustful relationships with Japanese Offshore Wind stakeholders we have successfully established, we have decided to open a Japanese company to be closer to our Japanese Clients and Lenders. The principle advantage for Japanese partners is the possibility to work and receive risk and insurance advisory services within a fully Japanese context provided under the laws of Japan and being subjected to Japanese jurisdiction. As part of our risk and insurance advisory services, we specialize in Japanese Insurance Act and its application and interpretation in the context of Offshore Wind insurance policies and claims management process. In this respect we continuously update our knowledge with Japanese counterparts and follow closely the Japanese Offshore Wind legislative framework development. Our risk and insurance advisory services are complementary to those provided traditionally by insurance brokers. We also strive to provide new solutions for insurability of Japan specific Offshore Wind risks, including the risks of typhoon, tsunami, earthquake and lightning strike and monitor the development of governmental regulations imposed upon wind farms affected by these events. In particular, we raise the Clients´ awareness of losses which are not insurable or difficult and costly to insure, such as e.g. the risk of soil liquefaction or provide alternative solutions against losses which are insurable but generally subject to a longer waiting period during which Clients do not receive indemnification. These include e.g. the requirement of shutting down the wind turbine hit by a lightning strike which consequently cannot generate electricity, and where indemnification is subject to a deductible of generally not less than 2 months and which is eventually not indemnified by insurance in the absence of a physical loss affecting the turbine. Being fully immersed in the Japanese Offshore Wind legislative framework enables us to provide Clients with Japan compliant and yet innovative risk prevention, minimization and insurance concept proposals. Our entire Japanese specific Offshore Wind knowledge is equally provided for the benefit of Lenders when we act as Lenders Insurance Advisors for Japanese offshore wind farms under development or during re-financing process. Our country and geographical region specific knowledge secures the interest of Japanese Lenders and Investors by our insurance and insurability focused scrutiny of Japan specific (additional) risk, technical, environmental and contractual exposure and its control and minimization by insurance coverage underwritten on an adequate Japan specific insurance policy wording and additional necessary safeguarding mechanisms. We sincerely thank you for the trust given us and wish that the establishment of the Japanese Co. Ltd. company confirms our long-term commitment to Japanese partners in Offshore Wind projects.

Insurance Broker Bessé signs exclusivity agreement with Skowronnek & Bechnak to consolidate its position in offshore renewable energy insurance in France.

Skowronnek & Bechnak are engaged in seeking combined technical and insurance solutions against the risk of a lightning strike and the resulting loss or damage, including financial impact on the offshore wind farms due to loss of production during the turbines downtime. The impact on the offshore wind farms can be very significant in particular in territories where lightning strikes are frequent, such as e.g. norther parts of Japan where the probability of a lightning strike is 300 times higher than in the European North Sea. Further queries can be addressed at info@sbadvisors.de.

Ralf Skowronnek has been appointed the Chairman of the Insurance Sub-Committee of the Floating Offshore Wind Committee, World Forum Offshore Wind, leading the initiative of international experts focusing on addressing the floating system parameters and formulating the industry standards conforming to insurers´ requirements in order to secure future insurability of the floating technology, in particular when it comes to large scale projects and their bankability.

Skowronnek & Bechnak are a sponsor and panelist at the Japan Energy 2020 engaged in the panel discussion on “How to Optimize Performance Versus Reliability to Encourage the Deployment of Floating Wind” and presenting their own arguments on “How to increase insurability of large scale floating projects and decrease the LCoE”.