A process for suspension or entrainment gasification of a carbonaceous material, comprising the steps of: a. introducing a dry feedstock comprising recycled char and a solid stream comprising particulate carbonaceous material into a reactor lower section and partially combusting therein with a gas stream comprising an oxygen supply selected from a group consisting of oxygen-containing gas, steam, and mixtures thereof, thereby evolving heat and forming products comprising synthesis gas and molten slag; b. passing said synthesis gas from said reactor lower section upward into a reactor upper section and pyrolysing therein with a first slurry stream comprising a slurry of particulate carbonaceous material in a liquid carrier, thereby forming mixture products comprising a gaseous product stream comprising synthesis gas and char; c. passing said mixture products in step (b) through a heat recovery zone; d. introducing a second slurry stream comprising particulate carbonaceous material in a liquid carrier and said mixture products exiting from said heat recovery zone into a drying unit wherein the water in said second slurry stream is vaporized and said solid stream comprising particulate carbonaceous material is formed; e. passing said mixture products and said solid stream in step (d) through a separating device, whereby said char and said solid stream are separated from said gaseous product stream; f. passing said gaseous product stream in step (e) through a particulate filtering device whereby residual solid fines and particulates are separated from said gaseous product stream; and g. recycling said dry feedstock comprising said char and said dried particulate carbonaceous material from step (e) and residual solid fines and particulates from step (f) back to said reactor lower section, whereby said heat evolved in said step (a) is recovered by converting said first slurry stream comprising particulate carbonaceous material in said carrier liquid in step (b) into said gaseous product stream in step (b). a. introducing a dry feedstock comprising recycled char and a solid stream comprising particulate carbonaceous material into a reactor lower section and partially combusting therein with a gas stream comprising an oxygen supply selected from a group consisting of oxygen-containing gas, steam, and mixtures thereof, thereby evolving heat and forming products comprising synthesis gas and molten slag; b. passing said synthesis gas from said reactor lower section upward into a reactor upper section and pyrolysing therein with a first slurry stream comprising a slurry of particulate carbonaceous material in a liquid carrier, thereby forming mixture products comprising a gaseous product stream comprising synthesis gas and char; c. passing said mixture products in step (b) through a heat recovery zone; d. introducing a second slurry stream comprising particulate carbonaceous material in a liquid carrier and said mixture products exiting from said heat recovery zone into a drying unit wherein the water in said second slurry stream is vaporized and said solid stream comprising particulate carbonaceous material is formed; e. passing said mixture products and said solid stream in step (d) through a separating device, whereby said char and said solid stream are separated from said gaseous product stream; f. passing said gaseous product stream in step (e) through a particulate filtering device whereby residual solid fines and particulates are separated from said gaseous product stream; and g. recycling said dry feedstock comprising said char and said dried particulate carbonaceous material from step (e) and residual solid fines and particulates from step (f) back to said reactor lower section,