proCLIR
About Us
An Alliance for the Future
ProCLIR is made up of a number of people who all share a common goal: genuine resource and environmental protection through the expansion of the circular economy with innovative processes.
We are:
Claus Gronholz
- Research & Development (H.U.R.)
André Gronholz
- Development of the Operational Application
- Engineering
Closing Loops
A closed recycling loop is already possible today for the treatment of source separated biowaste. However, for most other types of waste, especially municipal solid waste (MSW), this is still a long way off. The most proven method for reducing the volume and hygienising this waste is thermal treatment. In combination with the IRRT® process, around 65 % of the bottom ash produced during the incineration process can ideally be reused as a raw material – a closed cycle is already created for the 10% of metals it contains. With the other 55 %, we protect the environment and replace natural resources with recycled building materials.
Success from Experience
Our process is based on years of research and extensive testing in pilot plants. The success is now being proven in day-to-day recycling practice.
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Research
The Brains behind the IRRT® Process
The driving force behind the development of the IRRT® process is Claus Gronholz. He has been conducting research for H.U.R. Hamburg GmbH (Hamburger Umwelt Recyclingtechnologien) in the field of grate ash processing since it was founded in 2009. His many years of experience make him one of the world’s leading experts in this field. His research findings and the resulting processes developed in the field of metal recovery – especially for non-magnetic metals – were instrumental in the construction of various plants for the recovery of metals from IBA. This was also the case in 2012, when the world’s largest plant of its kind at the time was realised near Boston. In the following years, he further perfected this process under the name STRATEGO. With the IRRT® process, he expanded his previous approach of metal recovery to include the production of substitute building materials. He also benefits from his experience in medical technology when selecting possible processes.
Claus Gronholz is significantly supported in his research work by his son André Gronholz. Following the start of development on the innovative IRRT® processing technology in 2012, he took over the aspects of the operational application. This included setting up and operating the test facility as well as analysing the collected empirical data. As the official co-inventor of the now patented IRRT® process, he also made a decisive contribution to the development of the ReUST reactor technology. At proCLIR, he is specifically responsible for the practical transfer of the process from the research laboratory to industrial-scale application.
In the summer of 2023, Claus and André Gronholz were joined in their efforts by Jörg Eckardt, the Managing Director of the engineering consultancy JE-C GmbH. Eckardt has been working in the recycling, energy and waste management industry for over 30 years and therefore has crucial knowledge of the sector. His experience as a long-standing managing director of a plant construction company is useful both in the general establishment and practical implementation of new processes.
