Two of the biggest names in Australian mining have thrown their weight behind a star-studded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in the United States under plans to acquire copper and battery minerals assets.

Former Northern Star Resources talisman Bill Beament and former Fortescue Metals chief executive Nev Power have joined Glencore director Patrice Merrin in “Metals Acquisition Corp”; a SPAC that filed its prospectus with the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) this week.