Some large projects may only make sense when they look past national borders. Where a resource sits far from the companies backing a project, the work can involve several countries at once.

Wikipedia's current-events log for July 13, 2009, recorded that "twelve European companies launch the €400 billion Desertec project to built solar thermal power stations in North Africa".

Energy Grids as Integrated Systems

The entry pairs European companies with power stations in North Africa. In general, a project that brings together firms from one region and sites in another may ask planners to think beyond any one country's grid.

A plan of this kind might need more than money: it could involve coordination across different rules, technologies and governments. A large stated budget may hint at how much such coordination could take.

Projects of this size may face many practical hurdles. Keeping several companies and several governments aligned could add friction, and each border involved might add more.

The Logistical Friction of Consensus

For people who design shared systems, the idea may still be worth considering: if a resource is best gathered in one place, the networks around it might need to reach further than national lines usually allow.

Whether such plans succeed may depend on partners staying aligned for a long time, and on patience with slow returns and changing politics. Perhaps the hardest part of building across borders is less the technology than keeping the agreement behind it.

Sources