In 1996, the district heating plant was set into operation – at the time, it was the largest heating plant in Austria based on biomass combustion (wood chips). In 2001, the biomass power station (electricity and heat production) was taken into operation. The first visitors came to Güssing in 1996 to view the district heating plant, and with groups of visitors coming from Austria, Europe and the USA, interest in biomass power stations saw figures rise. The Güssing European Centre for Renewable Energy (EEE) was established in 1996.
Responsibilities included the co-ordination and care of visitors. Following qualification measures for women, to enable them to become “regional guides”, the EEE has had several regional guides and qualified tour guides in service as visitor guides.
Other services include energy management and advice, project management and training in the area of renewable energy. Research and development in connection with the demonstration plants are also an important driving force for the labour market and regional development. A significant proportion of the duties are taken up by regional, national and international co-operation initiatives.  Because of these diverse tasks and our international guests, we also adapt the programme design to their needs. The paragraphs below contain excerpts from our range on offer.

Programmes
Energy with charm
On the basis of interest expressed by visitors, day programmes were developed. The programme design is guided by the visitors’ wishes. Guests choose between guided tours that relate only to renewable energy, or a combination of renewable energy, culture and gastronomy.

Energy with imagination
For young people aged 12 to 14, a special offer was developed. The aim of this offer, aimed at schools, is to show young people how energy is produced from renewable raw materials. The intention is to broaden their knowledge outside school, on the basis of tests and experiments with wood and sun, tours of the technical plants, excursions to the forest and quizzes