Concepts for the cultivation, production and use of vegetable oils

Company history

The United Workshops for Plant Oil Technology was founded in 1993 by Alois Dotzer, Dr. Georg Gruber and Thomas Kaiser as a private company and rebranded in 2009 as the United Workshops for Plant Oil Technology, Dr. Georg Gruber/Ulrike Gruber GbR (hereinafter referred to as VWP).

All VWP associates were employed in leading positions at Ludwig Elsbett in the 1980s. Due to Elsbett Construction's experience of highly developed specialised plant oil engines being very difficult to accept on the market, VWP chose a technical strategy change, towards adapted plant oil engines based on mass-produced series diesel engines.

Series engine for plant oil

A fleet test of 60 Mercedes prechamber engines sponsored by the Bavarian Ministry of Economics from 1994 to 1996, was the world's first demonstration project with series engines completely adapted to plant oil. During the following years, VWP takes technological leadership in the gradual further development and modification of series combustion chambers, direct injection and common rail engines for Flex-Fuel plant oil engines.

Hybrid system

Research hut Leutasch at 1,700 m altitude with 100% renewable energy hybrid systemThe technical pioneering achievements include 100% renewable energy hybrid systems featuring photovoltaics, battery storage and plant oil generators as balancing energy and back-up electricity generators, which was developed starting in 1993 together with Autark, Dr. Georg Gruber and the Freiburg Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and installed for the first time in the world in German Alpine Association's alpine huts.

On the basis of 10 patents, VWP has adapted over 2,000 engines in cars and trucks, and generators for operation with pure plant oil and/or diesel fuel.

One-tank system

VWP converts John Deere engines to a single-tank system ready for series productionVWP was commissioned by John Deere to develop existing series John Deere diesel motor technology into a one-tank system for operation with pure plant oils, biodiesel and diesel for series production. This was a milestone in the company's history because VWP's market roll-out strategy relies less on individual retrofitting while prefering licensing and the multiplication of plant oil technology through established major series manufacturers.

Sustainable

Because engines and fuel are inextricably linked, since its founding VWP has also been dealing with fuel standardisation, certification, plant oil quality, decentralised plant oil production and sustainable cultivation concepts in regionally closed money, CO2, energy and material cycles without transportation expenses and with the creation and maintenance of new, rural jobs.