Process for producing liquid pig iron or liquid steel preproducts and sponge iron as well as a plant for carrying out the process

A process for producing liquid pig iron or liquid steel preproducts and sponge iron from charging substances of iron ore, comprising the steps of:

• directly reducing the charging substances to sponge iron in a first reduction zone;
• melting the sponge iron in a meltdown gasifying zone under a supply of carbon carriers and an oxygen-containing gas to produce a reducing gas containing CO and H.sub.2 ;
• introducing the reducing gas into the first reduction zone;
• reacting the reducing gas in the first reduction zone;
• drawing off the reducing gas from the first reduction zone as an export gas;
• subjecting the drawn-off export gas to CO.sub.2 elimination, as well as heating, to produce a reducing gas at least largely free of CO.sub.2 ;
• drawing off the reducing gas at least largely free of CO.sub.2 ;
• feeding the reducing gas at least largely free of CO.sub.2 to at least one further reduction zone for the direct reduction of further iron ore and after the reaction with the iron ore is drawn off as an export gas;
• and
• heating the export gas derived from the first reduction zone using heat of the export gas leaving the further reduction zone.