A method of operating an integrated steelmaking plant which comprises a direct reduction reactor adapted for producing a normally continuous flow of hot DRI for its consumption in at least one DRI batch melting furnace and also for discharging cold DRI by providing said reactor with a reduction zone wherein iron ore particles are reduced to hot DRI by reaction with a reducing gas at a temperature of about 850°C to about 1100°C; and a DRI cooling zone within the same reactor vessel with a cooling capacity sufficient to cool the output of hot DRI from the reduction zone; at least one or more DRI melting furnaces, at least one or more hot DRI feeding bins, and suitable DRI conduits for conveying said hot DRI from said reduction reactor to such at least one or more DRI batch feeding bins and then to such at least one or more melting furnaces; and DRI diverting means positioned after the cooling zone for selectively directing hot DRI to such at least one or more DRI feeding bins or for separately discharging cold DRI from said reduction reactor; said method comprising: a) feeding said iron ore particles to the reduction zone of said reactor; b) causing said particles to react with a high temperature reducing gas to produce hot DRI; c) determining whether the hot DRI being produced in said reactor upon discharge from said reactor will be able to be consumed by such at least one or more melting furnaces and whether the capacity of such at least one or more hot DRI feeding bins is sufficient to accumulate the amount of hot DRI being discharged while not being consumed by such at least one or more melting furnaces; d) selectively circulating a stream of non-oxidizing cooling gas through said cooling zone of the reactor for cooling said hot DRI from said reducing zone down to a safe overall temperature below about 100°C when the capacity of such at least one or more hot DRI feeding bins is determined to be insufficient to further accumulate the amount of hot DRI which will not be consumed by such at least one or more melting furnaces; and e) operating said DRI diverting means to separately discharge cold DRI from said reactor when such at least one or more melting furnaces discontinue the normal melting rate and the hot DRI production rate exceeds the capacity of such at least one or more DRI feeding bins. a) feeding said iron ore particles to the reduction zone of said reactor; b) causing said particles to react with a high temperature reducing gas to produce hot DRI; c) determining whether the hot DRI being produced in said reactor upon discharge from said reactor will be able to be consumed by such at least one or more melting furnaces and whether the capacity of such at least one or more hot DRI feeding bins is sufficient to accumulate the amount of hot DRI being discharged while not being consumed by such at least one or more melting furnaces; d) selectively circulating a stream of non-oxidizing cooling gas through said cooling zone of the reactor for cooling said hot DRI from said reducing zone down to a safe overall temperature below about 100°C when the capacity of such at least one or more hot DRI feeding bins is determined to be insufficient to further accumulate the amount of hot DRI which will not be consumed by such at least one or more melting furnaces; and e) operating said DRI diverting means to separately discharge cold DRI from said reactor when such at least one or more melting furnaces discontinue the normal melting rate and the hot DRI production rate exceeds the capacity of such at least one or more DRI feeding bins.