In a process for producing liquid metal out of charges consisting of ore and additives, the ore is directly reduced to metal sponge in at least one reduction zone (5, 7, 8), the metal sponge is smelted with additives in a smelting gasification zone (11) with the introduction of carbon-containing materials and oxygen-containing gas, and a reduction gas, containing CO and H2, is produced which is used as a process gas to be introduced into the reduction zone (5, 7, 8) where it is converted and subsequently drawn off. Slag-forming additives, particularly calcium carbonate, dolomite, etc., are calcinated using the process gas in a calcinating zone (26') which is separated from the reduction zone (5, 7, 8) and smelting gasification zone (11). To be able to use slag-forming additives aggregate of any grain size without affecting the reduction process, the calcinating zone (26') is connected in parallel, with regard to material flow, to the reduction zone (5, 7, 8), and the calcinated aggregate is introduced directly into the smelting gasifier (10).