Biogas and AD Claims Investigation for Loss Adjusters

When an anaerobic digestion (AD) or biogas plant suffers a loss, loss adjusters can instruct BIOCON Technical Services directly for the engineering opinion the claim needs. We investigate causation, validate the repair scope and give outage and recovery input for business interruption, while coverage, liability and quantum stay with you and the appointed forensic accountant.

Instruct BIOCON Group How it works

Why do AD and biogas claims need a specialist engineer?

An AD plant is a connected biological and mechanical process, so a failure rarely stays in one component. A mixer defect can lead to poor mixing, sedimentation, falling gas production and a tank-entry outage. Establishing causation, the right repair and a credible outage period means understanding that chain, not only the failed part.

The outage is usually where the money is. In one case study published by HSB Engineering Insurance, rebuilding a failed digester, repairing damage to the CHP plant and covering lost revenue came to close to £5 million.

What engineering opinion does BIOCON provide on a claim?

We provide the four engineering opinions an AD machinery breakdown or business interruption claim usually needs: what caused the loss, what the right repair is, how long the plant will be down and whether the reinstatement matches what was agreed.

Causation

Root-cause investigation of the failed asset, with findings set out in a form you can use for coverage and liability decisions.

Repair scope and cost

A repair-versus-replace opinion and a costed, engineering-led scope of works.

Outage and recovery

Realistic outage duration and recovery scenarios, including lead times and biological restart, to support the BI quantum.

Repair oversight & close-out

Technical monitoring of the repair against the agreed scope, and independent verification before final sign-off.

How does BIOCON handle a claim instruction?

From instruction to final sign-off, a claim follows seven stages. You can instruct us for the whole process or for the stages you need, such as causation only or close-out only.

See how ADRisk360 works

  1. 1. Notification and mobilisation

    We receive your instruction and mobilise a suitably qualified engineer to site.

  2. 2. Site investigation

    We capture evidence, make a photographic record and carry out a technical examination of the failed asset.

  3. 3. Root-cause analysis

    We set out causation findings in a form suitable for coverage and liability decisions.

  4. 4. Scope and cost validation

    We give a repair-versus-replace opinion with a costed, engineering-led scope of works.

  5. 5. BI exposure and recovery

    We provide outage duration and recovery scenarios to support the BI quantum, working alongside the appointed forensic accountant.

  6. 6. Repair oversight

    We monitor the remediation technically, so you can see progress against the agreed scope.

  7. 7. Independent close-out

    We verify that the reinstatement matches the agreed scope before final sign-off.

A named engineer, not a rotating panel

When a policyholder or portfolio is surveyed over successive renewals, we aim to keep the same engineer and the same scoring method. Risk improvement is then measured against a consistent baseline, and site knowledge carries forward instead of being rebuilt at every survey.

For an underwriter, that means a renewal report that explains what has changed, not a fresh report that has to be read from scratch. For a broker, it means a technical contact who already knows the client's plant when a question comes up mid-term.

Dealing with a loss?

Tell us the site, what has failed and what you need from the engineer, and we'll confirm who will attend and when.

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Planning ahead?
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How does BIOCON work within the adjuster's process?

We provide the technical engineering opinion: on causation, on repair scope and on business-interruption-relevant outage and recovery timescales. Coverage, liability and loss quantification stay with the loss adjuster and the appointed forensic accountant. Our findings are prepared to support that process, not to replace it.

In practice, that means we report to you, on the questions you set, in a format you can use. We don't discuss coverage with the policyholder, and we don't put a value on the claim.

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How does a Critical Equipment Register help validate a BI claim?

When a site already has an ADRisk360 survey, its Critical Equipment Register gives the adjuster a technical baseline from before the loss. The assumptions on lead times, redundancy and process consequence were set before anyone had a claim to argue, which makes outage duration easier to validate.

Critical equipment we typically assess

  • CHP engines

  • Gas upgraders and compressors

  • Membrane modules

  • Gas blowers and flares

  • Pasteurisation

  • Feed systems

  • Digester mixers

  • Boilers and transformers

  • MCCs, PLC and SCADA systems, and grid entry units.

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Frequently asked questions

  • Yes. A loss adjuster can instruct BIOCON Technical Services directly for the engineering opinion an AD or biogas claim needs, covering causation, repair scope and business-interruption-relevant outage and recovery timescales. You can instruct us for the whole claim, from notification to independent close-out, or for the stages you need.

  • We investigate machinery breakdown and business interruption losses on anaerobic digestion, biogas and biomethane plants. Typical failures involve CHP engines, gas upgraders and compressors, membrane modules, digester mixers, feed systems, pumps, blowers, pressure systems and electrical plant, where the claim depends on understanding how the failure affected the wider process.

  • No. BIOCON provides the technical engineering opinion on causation, repair scope and outage and recovery timescales. Coverage determination, liability decisions and loss quantification remain with the loss adjuster and the appointed forensic accountant. Our findings are prepared to support that process, not to replace it.

  • We assess how long the plant will be down and why, using replacement lead times, redundancy, biological restart and process consequence. Where the site has an ADRisk360 survey, we start from its Critical Equipment Register. We give this outage and recovery input to the adjuster and the forensic accountant, who calculate the BI quantum.

  • Yes. After examining the failed asset, we give an engineering opinion on whether it should be repaired or replaced, with a costed scope of works. The opinion considers condition, remaining life, lead times and the effect of each option on the outage, so the adjuster can compare them on cost and on business interruption.

  • It can be. Where a statutory competent-person role or the adjuster's own governance requires separation between the party carrying out remedial work and the party verifying it, BIOCON Technical Services operates independently of BioContractors and BioConstruct. Where separation isn't required, the wider Group can also deliver the repair.

  • Claims are time-critical, so claim instructions are handled as a priority and a suitably qualified engineer is mobilised as soon as the site is safe to access. Tell us the site location and the nature of the failure when you instruct, and we will confirm who will attend and when.

  • Keep failed components and debris, labelled, and don't return parts to the OEM before they have been examined. Save SCADA and PLC logs, alarms and trends, along with operating, feed, gas analysis and maintenance records, and photograph the damage before clean-up if it is safe. Always follow site safety procedures and never enter a tank to preserve evidence.

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Get an engineer on the loss

Tell us about the site and what has failed, and we'll put a suitably qualified engineer on the claim. We'll give you causation, repair scope and outage input you can use, and leave coverage and quantum where they belong.