A process serves for the carbothermic/electrothermic production of crude iron or other base products in furnaces (23) by using mixtures comprising iron ore, oxides and/or carbonates of calcium (A) and carbonaceous materials, with formation of carbon monoxide-containing gases. In order to provide a novel process having an increased level of energy efficiency which provides high quality grade synthesis gas, it is proposed that the iron ore and/or the oxides and/or carbonates of calcium are, in whole or in part, first used as bulk material together with organic materials (3) in an upstream vertical moving-bed reactor (2) constructed as a counterflow gasifier, which moving-bed reactor has a bulk material at least in part comprising alkaline substances as moving bed, and a reduction (12) and oxidation zone (6), the organic materials are in whole or in part converted to synthesis gas (9); by gasification with oxygen-containing gases (8) and the remaining bulk material (22) is at least in part provided as raw material mixture for the carbothermic production of crude iron or electrothermic production of base products.