Method for operating a metallurgical furnace

The invention relates to a method for operating a metallurgical furnace (10). In order to provide a simplified way of providing synthesis gas for a metallurgical furnace, the invention provides that the method comprises: - performing a combustion process outside the metallurgical furnace (10) by combusting a carbon-containing material (41) with an oxygen-rich gas (40) to produce an offgas (42), which offgas (42) is a CO2 containing gas; - combining the offgas (42), while having an elevated combustion-induced temperature due to the combustion process, with a hydrocarbon-containing fuel gas (43) to obtain a first gas mixture (44) having a temperature above a reforming temperature necessary for a reforming process, preferably a dry reforming process; - the first gas mixture (44) undergoing the reforming process, thereby producing a synthesis gas (45) containing CO and H2; and - feeding the synthesis gas (45) into the metallurgical furnace (10).