I disagree. The 'JV' with Norsk Hydro sees UMC own 25% of the bauxite assets. Expect NH to fully fund the project in the future.
I'd take this news at face value and suggest it's an investment in the FeO2 assets. A 2 million tonne p.a. 'dig, truck/train and ship' strategy will cost about 30M in capital, maybe our new Arab mate will either underwrite or foot the bill when those funds are required.