Asian Development Bank announced a new financing facility in Samarkand aimed at helping countries across Asia and the Pacific develop critical minerals supply chains essential for clean energy, electric vehicles, batteries, and digital technologies. The initiative highlights the growing importance of critical minerals in shaping the next industrial era and seeks to ensure that countries in the region benefit not only from resource extraction but also from higher-value industries and job creation.
The Critical Minerals-to-Manufacturing Financing Partnership Facility is designed to help countries move beyond raw material exports into processing, manufacturing, and recycling. It will support project preparation, policy reforms, and investment mobilization, enabling developing member countries to strengthen their competitiveness in advanced manufacturing and capture greater economic value from their natural resources.
The facility includes two key components: a grant window and a catalytic finance window. The grant window will fund early-stage project activities such as feasibility studies, environmental and social assessments, and technical assistance, with initial contributions from the Government of Japan and the Government of the United Kingdom. The catalytic finance window is designed to attract cofinancing and risk-sharing from partners, with early commitments from Korea Eximbank and K-SURE.
The initiative builds on ADB’s broader efforts to support sustainable critical minerals value chains across the region, including projects in countries such as India, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Philippines. It also complements the development of a Critical Minerals Database aimed at improving data availability and policy coordination.
All supported projects will follow strict environmental and social safeguards, ensuring responsible and sustainable development. The facility ultimately aims to meet rising global demand for clean energy and digital technologies while promoting inclusive economic growth, job creation, and stronger industrial capacity across Asia and the Pacific.
