Abstract: The invention relates to a method of combined production of electrical energy and crude iron, comprising reducing iron oxides while keeping the temperature below the melting point of the crude iron during a pre-reduction and above said melting point during a final reduction. The pre-reduction is made by introducing carbonaceous material and the material containing iron oxides into a fluid bed containing solid carbonaceous material, producing reducing gases in the fluid bed by partial combustion of the carbonaceous material with air/or oxygen gas, pre-reducing the iron oxides by said reducing gases until the material has achieved a metallization degree of 30-80 %, most of the heat requirement of the pre-reduction being covered by said combustion. The pre-reduced material is finally reduced and molten by being brought into contact with carbon, and the heat requirement of this final reduction and melting process is covered by electric heating.

Abstract: A method for reducing iron oxide in a melt of iron by maintaining a reduction layer on the surface of the molten iron and passing the molten metal from the melt through vertical channels which communicate at the bottom of the metal melt an with a space at the top of the melt which is above that of the reduction layer so as to pass the melt including the oxide there through the reduction layer, the molten metal being lifted up through the channel by means of a gas lift pump action and heating the molten metal by inductive heating while it is flowing through the channel.