On Friday 18 June, Vale and ThyssenKrupp inaugurated ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderúrgica do Atlântico (TKCSA), one of the biggest and most modern steelmaking complexes in the world, located in Santa Cruz, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Approximately US$8.2 billion were invested in the complex, which has an annual production capacity of five million metric tons of steel slabs. In addition to a steel mill equipped with two blast furnaces and a coke plant, the complex has its own seaport and a 490-megawatt thermal power plant, fueled by gases produced during the steelmaking process itself.
The venture is the product of a partnership between ThyssenKrupp Steel, Germany’s biggest steel producer, which has a majority stake (73.13 per cent) in TKCSA, and Vale. About 30,000 workers built the steel mill complex, making it one of the largest manpower projects in Brazil’s history. The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said he was delighted to see the venture concluded.
“This was a project that many people did not believe in,” he said. “Rio de Janeiro was going through a difficult time [when the project began] but now it is one of the highest-ranking states in terms of the investments it receives. We’re going to grow a lot, serenely and responsibly.” Vale CEO Roger Agnelli, also attended the inauguration.
“In 2004, this bold project faced formidable challenges,” he said. “It had to be environmentally sustainable within the context of domestic steelmaking. Today we have a new commitment – to making the company grow and develop within the multinational steel market.”