Michael Gunner to head up Twiggy Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industry

The former NT chief minister’s plum role at billionaire Twiggy Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industry just got a whole lot sweeter.

Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest has promoted former Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner to lead his Fortescue Future Industry’s Australia West operations as he makes a play for control of the $35bn Sun Cable solar project.

Mr Gunner will be based in Darwin and will replace former FFI Australia West director Maia Schweizer who had been based in Perth.

“Michael Gunner leading our Australia West projects from Darwin is a clear sign of FFI’s strong belief that North Australia is a huge part of Australia’s renewable future,” Dr Forrest said.

Dr Forrest’s company Squadron Energy has been locked in a battle with fellow billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures for control of Sun Cable since the company was placed in voluntary administration in January.

Michael Gunner has been promoted to lead Fortescue Future Industry’s Australia West operations. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Executive Chairman and Founder of Fortescue Metal Group Andrew Forrest. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Sun Cable’s two high-profile backers had a dispute over the company’s future funding arrangements and their vision for its Australia-Asia Powerlink project.

The project planned to build a 20GW solar farm in the Northern Territory’s Barkly region, backed up with up to 42GWh of battery storage and a high-voltage transmission line to Darwin.

A 4200km sub-sea cable would then be built to export the power to Singapore.

Analysts have raised concerns about the cost and viability of the cable, which would be more than five times bigger than the longest submarine link currently proposed; the 767km Viking link from the UK to Denmark.

It’s understood Dr Forrest’s preferred option is to use the renewable energy from the Barkly to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia in Darwin.

“The Top End has world-class solar resources and will play an important part in FFI’s mission to lead the world in stepping beyond fossil fuels,” Dr Forrest said.

“Too many companies try to develop North Australian projects from an office in Sydney. We are prioritising the Territory by putting boots on the ground in Australia’s Top End.”

Mr Cannon-Brookes declined to comment on his dispute with Dr Forrest when he was asked about Sun Cable by The Australian newspaper in Las Vegas on Tuesday.