Thermochemical recycling: pyrolysis technology (MLM-R®) converts mixed plastic waste into naphtha as a chemical feedstock.
PRUVIA GmbH
Fürth · Leuna Chemical Park · Italy (pilot plant) · Gendorf Chemical ParkNew on Amplifa
About PRUVIA
PRUVIA GmbH, based in Fürth, develops and operates plants for the thermochemical recycling of plastic waste based on the patented MLM-R® pyrolysis technology. In a continuous loop process, mixed plastic waste is melted, cracked under oxygen exclusion, and the pyrolysis gas is condensed into pyrolysis oil that meets the quality criteria of naphtha. Naphtha serves as the starting material for almost all petroleum-based chemical precursors such as plastics, detergents and solvents, so that fossil resources can be substituted. The technology closes the recycling gap between mechanical recycling and incineration and is based on more than 25 years of research by co-founder Prof. Dr. Maria Laura Mastellone. The process concept was validated at a pilot plant in Italy; at the Leuna chemical park the company operates a DEMO plant at industrial scale. A commercial plant for processing mixed plastics is also being built at the Gendorf chemical park (district of Altötting), with initially 39 and later 67 jobs planned. PRUVIA is a member of the THINKTANK Industrial Resource Strategies and the Corporate Forum Chemical Recycling (CFCR).
- Site
- Fürth
- Processes
- Thermochemical recycling / pyrolysis (MLM-R® technology), Pyrolysis of plastic waste into naphtha (3 steps: melting, cracking without oxygen …), Continuous pyrolysis process in the MLM-R® loop (reactor + regenerator with heat carrier …), Thermochemical recycling of mixed plastic waste, Pyrolysis technology (MLM-R®), Production of naphtha from plastic waste, Closing the recycling gap between mechanical recycling and incineration
- Materials
- Naphtha (petroleum product, starting material for chemical feedstocks), Pyrolysis oil (meets the quality criteria of naphtha), Plastic waste (mixed plastics), Pyrolysis (thermochemical recycling), Naphtha (pyrolysis oil), Mixed plastic waste
- Industries
- Chemical industry, Plastics industry, Recycling and waste management, Circular economy
- 01
Reception of mixed plastic waste
- 02
Heating and liquefaction (melt)
- 03
Cracking under oxygen exclusion in the MLM-R® reactor
- 04
Heat carrier regeneration in the loop
- 05
Condensation of pyrolysis gas into pyrolysis oil/naphtha
- 06
Supply of naphtha as a chemical feedstock
- 07
Internal energy recovery from process residues
Materials & Processes
Pyrolysis (thermochemical recycling)
Continuous process for converting mixed plastic waste into pyrolysis oil/naphtha.
Naphtha (pyrolysis oil)
Meets the quality criteria of naphtha and serves as a raw material for chemical precursors such as plastics, detergents and solvents.
Mixed plastic waste
Including fractions that are difficult to recycle and cannot be processed mechanically.
Locations & Plants
Fürth
DEHeadquarters and administration
Leuna Chemical Park
DEDEMO plant at industrial demonstration scale
- Materials
- Mixed plastic waste
- MLM-R® loop reactor (pyrolysis reactor)
- Regenerator
- Condensation module
Italy
ITPilot plant (first-generation MLM-R® technology)
- Materials
- Mixed plastic waste
- MLM-R® pilot plant
Gendorf Chemical Park
DECommercial pyrolysis plant (under construction/planning)
- Materials
- Mixed plastics
- Commercial pyrolysis plant
Products & Output
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermochemical recycling / pyrolysis (MLM-R® technology)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic waste, mixed plastics |
| Pyrolysis of plastic waste into naphtha (3 steps: melting, cracking without oxygen …)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic waste, polyolefins (implicit) |
| Continuous pyrolysis process in the MLM-R® loop (reactor + regenerator with heat carrier …)Plastics | – | – | – | – | mixed plastic waste |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyrolysis reactor (MLM-R® loop reactor) | Pruvia MLM-R® | – | – | – | DEMO plant, Leuna Chemical Park |
| Regenerator (heat carrier heating in the MLM-R® loop) | Pruvia | – | – | – | – |
| Condensation module (pyrolysis gas into pyrolysis oil/naphtha) | Pruvia | – | – | – | – |
| Pilot plant | Pruvia First-generation MLM-R® technology | 1 | – | – | Italy |
| Industrial DEMO plant | Pruvia | 1 | – | – | Leuna Chemical Park |
| Commercial pyrolysis plant (Europe's largest pyrolysis plant, under construction) | Pruvia | 1 | – | – | Gendorf Chemical Park (Altötting) |
Additional services
History
- 2019
Publication of a scientific feasibility study on integrated plastic waste recovery (Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X).
- 2024
Operation of the DEMO plant at the Leuna chemical park; pilot plant in Italy validates the process concept.
- 2025
Start of construction of the commercial pyrolysis plant at the Gendorf chemical park (district of Altötting).