Data centre risk transfer news

As the buildout of AI and digital infrastructure continues to expand across the re/insurance industry, driving insurance-linked securities (ILS) into this emerging sector relies heavily on key structural advancements, including the development of standardised parametric triggers and portfolio aggregation mechanisms, according to Michael Moloney of Oliver Wyman.

With capacity constraints likely to limit the insurance industry’s ability to fully insure hyperscale data centre projects, given their scale and complexity, a new report from S&P notes that this will drive greater use of self-insurance through captive insurers, and potentially, alternative capital such as insurance-linked securities (ILS).

A new analysis from Lloyd’s global specialist re/insurer MS Amlin has revealed that 56% of the 670 planned US data centre projects representing nearly $800 billion in investment, are located in states that are highly exposed to either hurricanes, severe convective storms, earthquakes or winterstorms.

As alternative capital continues to integrate further into the global reinsurance market, in order for this to be truly sustainable the sector must prioritise better modeling, greater transparency and careful sequencing of product development so that capital can be deployed where it strengthens resilience, according to Laurent Rousseau of Guy Carpenter.

Two of the Lloyd’s syndicates operated by specialist ILS investment manager Nephila Capital are set to provide capacity support to a new property treaty consortium launched by MS Amlin, with data centre risk underwriting said to be a key focus for the new venture.

Adoption of advanced technology and artificial intelligence are serving to expand addressable markets for the insurance and reinsurance industry, with digital infrastructure one example where data analytics are expected to help Aon access institutional sources of capital for its clients, CEO Greg Case explained today.

Euler ILS Partners, the specialist Swiss insurance-linked securities (ILS) investment manager, sees a $1 billion fund opportunity based on quota share’s to support insurance risk transfer capacity for the data centre build-out, according to reporting from Bloomberg.

As the data centre build-out continues to expand as an emerging field across the industry, it appears very likely that insurers, reinsurers and various organisations may turn towards catastrophe bonds to source risk capital for these facilities, according to John Seo of Fermat Capital Management LLC.

During the SIFMA ILS conference in Miami yesterday a panel discussed the topic of data centre risk and some of the considerations that need to be kept in mind as the insurance-linked securities (ILS) market looks at these potentially meaningful opportunities.

As the global data centre build-out continues to gain traction across the re/insurance market, insurers are reportedly considering the insurance-linked securities (ILS) market to help support their capacity needs, a shift which follows a record opening quarter of catastrophe bond issuance for reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter, CEO Dean Klisura said today.