The Asian Development Bank on Sunday laid out a $70 billion strategy to broaden energy and digital infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region with a target completion year of 2035. The programme is structured around two major components - a $50 billion Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative and a $20 billion Asia-Pacific Digital Highway - that ADB says are designed to strengthen cross-border power links, support electricity trade and expand broadband reach.
ADB President Masato Kanda framed the package as a dual push to underpin long-term growth as demand climbs and technological change accelerates. In a statement, Kanda said the plan will "link power grids and digital networks across borders," an approach the bank argues will reduce costs, widen opportunity and bring reliable power and digital access to hundreds of millions of people.
Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative
The $50 billion grid initiative sets out a series of measurable targets to be achieved by 2035. ADB intends to:
- integrate about 20 gigawatts of renewable energy across borders;
- construct 22,000 circuit-kilometres of transmission lines;
- improve electricity access for roughly 200 million people;
- reduce regional power-sector emissions by around 15%.
The bank said it plans to fund approximately half of the power grid initiative from its own resources, with the balance expected to be provided through co-financing arrangements that include private investment.
Asia-Pacific Digital Highway
The remaining $20 billion will be channelled through what ADB calls the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway. That programme is targeted at expanding the region's digital backbone by supporting fibre-optic networks, subsea cables, satellite connections and regional data centres.
ADB's stated goals for the digital programme by 2035 include providing first-time broadband access to 200 million people and improving connectivity for an additional 450 million. The bank also projects cost reductions of about 40% in remote areas and the potential creation of up to 4 million jobs. ADB said it expects to finance $15 billion of the digital initiative from its own funds.
Both initiatives are presented as complementary efforts to advance energy and digital connectivity in tandem. The bank emphasised the cross-border nature of the projects and its expectation that a combination of ADB financing and external co-financing will deliver the stated infrastructure outcomes.
Summary of targets and financing
The programme combines quantified infrastructure goals with a financing mix that relies on ADB capital plus co-financing, including private investment. The timeline for delivering these targets is 2035, and the bank has provided estimates for renewable capacity, transmission kilometres, improved access counts, emissions reductions, broadband reach, cost reductions in remote areas and job creation.