US Lithium battery specialist Kore Power in the US has closed an initial $75 million chunk of a private placement which will total $150 million. Siemens Financial Services was the lead investor and was joined by Quanta Services with additional strategic partners including Nidec Motor, Honeywell Ventures, Trog Hawley Capital and a leading utility scale energy storage provider. The money is to be used to build its first Gigafactory in the Phoenix area starting at 6GWh in 2024 rising to 12 GWh eventually. Rio Tinto said this week it will invest another $600 million in renewable energy assets in Australia’s Pilbara region as it attempts to decarbonize its Western Australian iron ore operations. This money will fund two 100MW solar…