Brazil's Vale mining company and German steel maker ThyssenKrupp started here Friday constructing a huge steel-making complex, the largest of its kind in Latin America.

Costing 8.2 billion U.S. dollars, the Companhia Siderurgica do Atlantico (TKCSA) in Rio de Janeiro is expected to produce 5 million tons of steel slabs annually. That will lead to a 40 percent increase in the Brazilian exports of the metal, Vale said.

ThyssenKrupp has a 73.13-percent stake in TKCSA and Vale has 26.87 percent. Vale is also responsible for supplying the iron ore.

The construction of TKCSA, which will take about four years, involves more than 30,000 workers. After its completion, the plant is expected to provide around 18,000 jobs.

The TKCSA complex also includes a 490 MW-capacity power plant fueled by gases produced during steelmaking so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"These modern facilities are a source of pride for us because they give shape to our most dearly held principles, such as the pursuit of technological innovation, efficient production and respect for the community and the environment," said ThyssenKrupp CEO Ekkehard Schulz.

"Our role is to promote the growth of steel production in Brazil, creating wealth and sustainable development," said Vale's CEO Roger Agnelli.

The construction of TKCSA was controversial, with environmental groups complaining about its environmental impact on Rio's Santa Cruz neighborhood and in the nearby Sepetiba Bay.

In May 2008 the construction was temporarily suspended by the Labor Ministry due to lack of workplace safety.