Infrastructure is essential for cross-border connectivity. Given the growing importance of resilient cross-border connections for everything from critical supply chains to virtual connectivity, energy transmission and more, governments will need to be prepared to deliver cross-border infrastructure.
Yet, infrastructure projects that traverse countries present unique challenges in planning, management, finance and execution. These challenges have been extensively investigated and widely shared. In this reference guide, the GI Hub collates the body of knowledge and analyses project examples to answer the question: how can these challenges be addressed to implement successful cross-border infrastructure?
"This reference guide is landmark and rich in content, insights and ideas. The amount of best practice and number of project cases are invaluable." – Russia PPP Center
The guide draws key learnings and practices from a comprehensive literature review and the input of international infrastructure experts with in-depth experience in cross-border projects and infrastructure connectivity. The result is a new resource, informed by dozens of projects at every lifecycle stage from concept to planning, delivery and management of cross-border infrastructure.
The reference guide contains key learnings from over 40 examples, including detailed case studies of seven infrastructure projects crossing national borders. The learnings span five areas: policy and planning, legal and regulatory considerations, stakeholder engagement, finance and risk allocation, and governance and management.
The reference guide contains key learnings from over 40 examples, including detailed case studies of seven infrastructure projects crossing national borders. The learnings span five areas: policy and planning, legal and regulatory considerations, stakeholder engagement, finance and risk allocation, and governance and management.
Use of specific cross-border frameworks is essential to align the project with national and regional infrastructure plans and ensure appropriate institutional capacity to deliver broader development strategies.
Key learnings point toward these global practices:
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An enabling environment is key to success and, for cross-border projects, it particularly includes intergovernmental project agreements and harmonisation of rules and regulations to align interests.
Key learnings point toward these global practices:
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“The guide aligns with several elements of ICE’s work on planning and prioritising infrastructure investment and mega joint ventures for delivering infrastructure projects. ICE commends GI Hub for developing this guide.” – Mark Hansford, Director of Engineering Knowledge, Institution of Civil Engineers
Financial structures can be particularly difficult on cross-border projects, given these projects' unique complexities and risks. The optimal financial structure is one that is viable in the project environment and properly allocates risks and benefits.
Key learnings point toward these global practices:
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The governance approach should reflect the project specificities, but will likely include a governance body that sets the agenda and collaboration format for development and beyond, and ensures capacity and competency across the lifecycle.
Key learnings point toward these global practices:
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Governance and monitoring mechanisms need to build in flexibility to adapt to the greater likelihood on cross-border projects of significantly changing circumstances and risks. Another key requirement for cross border projects is establishing management mechanisms to maintain social licence.
Key learnings point toward these global practices:
This guide presents global practices for cross-border infrastructure projects. In its scope and contents, it aims to be a practical compendium of information about how to effectively and efficiently implement cross-border infrastructure.
“The reference guide highlights important considerations for cross-border infrastructure. Its case study on the Coral Sea Cable System provides a useful summary of the objectives, opportunities and challenges in delivering cross-border telecommunications infrastructure.” – Pacific Infrastructure Branch, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway modernisation project is the first cross-border electrified railway in Africa, delivered under a design, build, maintain and operate (DBMO) contract over a period of 6 years. The railway line is a 753 km electrified line between Ethiopia´s capital and the Port of Djibouti, which handles more than 90% of Ethiopia’s international trade.
The N4 Toll Route is a brownfield toll road concession of 630 km running from Pretoria, South Africa to Maputo in Mozambique. It is one of the most important trade routes in the region, forming part of the 1,900 km Trans-Kalahari Corridor road network across South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. The project was delivered under a design, build/rehabilitate, finance, maintain, operate and transfer contract.
The Øresund Fixed Link is a combined bridge and tunnel link across the Øresund Sound between Denmark and Sweden. Its opening in 2000 saw an upturn in mobility at an international, national, regional and local level for one of the busiest and most important traffic routes between the Scandinavian peninsula and the European continent. The project was delivered under a design, build, finance, maintain, own and operate (DBFMOO) contract.
The Channel Tunnel is a 50 km rail tunnel linking England with northern France. Delivered under a design, build, finance, maintain, operate and transfer (DBFMOT) contract, it was officially opened in 1994. It allows the city of London to be directly connected by train to Paris, Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne.
The Coral Sea Cable System (CS2) is a 4,700 km fibre-optic submarine telecommunications cable that links Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to Sydney, Australia. Delivered under a design and build contract, the aim of the CS2 project is to provide faster, affordable and more reliable internet connection to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a land border crossing between Ontario, Canada and Michigan, US. The Windsor–Detroit trade corridor is the busiest commercial land border crossing on the Canada–US border. The bridge is being delivered under a design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) contract with a 36-year contract period (six years construction and 30 years for O&M).
The Itaipu Hydroelectric Dam is located on the Paraná River on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The dam is the largest operational hydroelectric energy–producing asset in the world; in 2018, the energy generated supplied nearly 90% of the electricity consumed in Paraguay and about 15% of that consumed in Brazil. The dam is enabled by the Treaty of Itaipu and was delivered under a design, build, operate contract.
The USD 508.62 million CLSG Interconnector Project is a landmark cross-border project involving the construction of a transmission line of over 1,300km, with the aim to interconnect the CLSG countries’ energy systems into the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) regional energy network.