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Aaron Bunch

Minister talks up a new dawn for Sun Cable

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he still supports plans for a huge solar energy farm in the NT. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

The Albanese government says a renewable solar energy plan to export electricity from the Northern Territory to Singapore has "enormous potential" despite the company behind it collapsing.

Sun Cable, backed by billionaires Andrew Forrest and Mike Cannon-Brookes, entered voluntary administration on Wednesday amid reports of a spat between the two major investors.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said it was primarily a commercial decision about the company's management structure and he was "upbeat and excited" about the $30 billion Australia-Asia PowerLink project's future.

"It doesn't represent either of the big investors' behalf or anybody else's behalf, any sort of lack of faith in the future," he said on Thursday.

"Sun Cable has enormous potential for Australia as a renewable energy export powerhouse."

Mr Bowen said he had been in talks with senior Sun Cable executives and he remained a "big" supporter of the project.

"They tell me that there is absolutely no reduction in their ambition, there is no change in their plans for this to be going forward as a very important investment in Australia," he said.

"I certainly hope that they make their corporate decisions and then get on with the job."

The project involves the development of a 17- to 20-gigawatt solar farm in the NT, capable of powering about 15 million homes, and a 36 to 42GW battery.

Sun Cable also plans to build the world's largest battery and an undersea cable to transmit the electricity about 4200km via Darwin to Singapore.

Construction was set to begin next year with full operation scheduled for 2029.

Sun Cable said on Wednesday it would enter voluntary administration in the hope of unlocking extra capital to develop the massive project.

It said unnamed shareholders had disagreed and the direction and funding structure of the company could not be achieved.

Acting NT Chief Minister Nicole Manison said on Thursday it was an important project for the territory.

"We understand the company will continue to work on the project while it seeks to address the current shareholder matters," she said in a statement.

"We are confident new funding sources will be found and this world-leading project can be delivered."

NT Opposition spokesman for industry said Sun Cable's demise would hobble the Labor Fyles plan to grow the territory's economy to $40 billion by 2030.

"In six years, Labor has not delivered a single major project and all the major projects they were backing for the $40 billion pledge are under a cloud or folded," he said.

Mr Cannon-Brookes previously said he remained confident the project would go ahead.

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