Another edition of our irregular news in brief feature: Eos Energy Enterprises closes a US Department of Energy loan deal, UBS picks an AI-driven asset optimiser and financial close for a solar-plus-storage project at an Arkansas steel rebar plant.

Lithium-ion battery recycler Li-Cycle has opened its third recycling facility, in Arizona.

DEPCOM Power has 650MWh of battery energy storage system projects in execution.

Aspen Aerogels has raised US$150 million in financing from a Koch family investment firm to help grow its aerogel thermal barrier technology division, including new products which prevent thermal runaway in batteries. 

A new joint venture (JV) is evaluating building battery cell gigafactories in the US, based on advanced lithium-ion technologies, formed by investor Koch Strategic Platforms and manufacturer FREYR Battery. 

NASDAQ-listed zinc-based electrochemical battery storage provider Eos Energy Enterprises has said that a subsidiary of Koch Industries has committed to investing US$100 million into the company.