A process for producing molten pig iron or liquid steel pre-products from charging substances formed of iron ores and fluxes and at least partially comprising fines, wherein the charging substances are directly reduced to sponge iron in at least one reduction zone (18), the sponge iron is melted in a melting-gasifying zone (I to IV) under supply of carbon carriers and oxygen-containing gas, and a reducing gas is produced, which is injected into the reduction zone (18), is reacted there, is withdrawn as an export gas and is supplied to a consumer, is to be improved with a view to rendering feasible the use of fine ore in an economic manner. This is effected in that primarily hematite and/or magnetite fine ores and/or ore dusts are subjected to preheating by the whirl layer process in a preheating zone (2), the thus preheated charging substances are completely reduced to a major extent by the whirl-layer method in at least one consecutively arranged reduction zone, whereupon the charging substances are charged into the fluidized bed (II, III) of the melting-gasifying zone (I to IV) by forced conveyance and are melted there.