June 19 (Reuters) - Australian investment bank Macquarie Group could be the front-runner to buy an up to 50% stake in electricity and gas supplier EnergyAustralia, the Australian Financial Review reported on Monday citing sources close to talks.

Hong Kong-based investment firm CLP Holdings, which owns EnergyAustralia, was in discussions to finalise the deal with Macquarie but was also continuing talks with other interested parties, the AFR article stated without disclosing any further details.

EnergyAustralia declined to comment on a Reuters request for confirmation, while Macquarie and CLP Holdings did not immediately respond.

EnergyAustralia is one of the country's biggest electricity and gas suppliers after AGL Energy and Origin Energy . It is also the third-largest carbon-polluting power producer in the country.

In fiscal 2022, EnergyAustralia recorded an operating loss of HK$5.27 billion ($673.71 million) as multiple weather events in the country and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on coal and gas prices negatively affected it. ($1 = 7.8223 Hong Kong dollars) (Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)