Method for producing molten iron using electric furnace

A method for producing molten iron using an electric furnace comprising a melting chamber (1) for melting iron scrap by arc heating and a shaft-type preheating chamber (2) provided on and continuously with the melting chamber (1) and used to preheat the iron scrap, in which the iron scrap is sequentially charged into the preheating chamber (2) so that the preheating chamber (2) is filled with the iron scrap, an exhaust gas generated in the melting chamber (1) is passed through the preheating chamber (2) filled with the iron scrap so as to preheat the iron scrap, the iron scrap thus preheated is sequentially caused to descend in the preheating chamber (2) so as to be supplied into the melting chamber (1), and the iron scrap is melted in the melting chamber (1) to obtain molten iron,

• wherein the iron scrap is charged into the preheating chamber (2) so that an apparent bulk density (P) of the iron scrap filled in the preheating chamber (2) is not less than 0.50 t/m3 and less than 1.00 t/m3 and an iron scrap filling ratio HSC/HSF in the preheating chamber (2) (where HSC denotes a filling height [m] of the iron scrap in the preheating chamber, and HSF denotes a preheating chamber interior height [m]) is 0.5 to 0.8,
• a carbonaceous material is used as an auxiliary heat source for melting the iron scrap in the melting chamber (1), and
• oxygen and the carbonaceous material are blown into the melting chamber (1) so that a carbon-oxygen ratio C/O (where C denotes a carbon amount [kg] in the carbonaceous material, and O denotes an oxygen blowing amount [Nm3]) is not less than 0.70.