Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing low-nitrogen crude steel. This process includes melting directly reduced iron and/or scrap in a melting furnace with arc resistance heating to give a metallic melt and a slag. The metallic melt is removed from the melting furnace and used to charge a converter. The metallic melt is refined in the converter to give liquid crude steel. The liquid crude steel is tapped having a nitrogen content [N] of not more than 50 ppm, especially of not more than 30 ppm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for direct reduction of iron ore to afford direct reduced iron, wherein the iron ore sequentially passes through a reduction zone for reducing the iron ore to direct reduced iron and a cooling zone for cooling the direct reduced iron, wherein in the reduction zone the iron ore is subjected to a flow of a reduction gas and wherein in the cooling zone the direct reduced iron is subjected to a flow of a cooling gas. The cooling gas in the cooling zone comprises H2 and CO2, wherein the ratio of the mole fractions of H2 to CO2 is greater than 1.8 and the mole fraction of CO2 is greater than 20 mol %.