The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has caused global uncertainty for organisations, governments and individuals, and the legal fraternity has been busy producing client posts, dressing and redressing COVID-19 in the illusive cloak of force majeure.
Yet the discussion is misguided in the context of rigid contractual arrangements such as those used in regional concession-based power projects; perhaps the question is not so much about whether COVID-19 is force majeure, but rather whether its seemingly apocalyptic consequence is a valid claim for time, cost and possibly revenue relief under regional independent power producer (IPP) projects.