Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, 26 November 2015

Volunteers from AES UK & Ireland joined together with Ulster Wildlife, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Mid & East Antrim Council to carry out a clean sweep of an Antrim beach on a cold November day.

Volunteers carried out a beach clean on the shoreline between Kilroot Power Station and Andrew Jackson Cottage.

Last month AES UK & Ireland’s full time Biodiversity Officer, Katy Bell, surveyed the shoreline at the popular spot and found a dense carpet of rubbish washed up on the shores of Belfast Lough by the current.

Tidying the beach up was identified as a priority for members of Ballylumford and Kilroot Power Stations’ Green Teams, the company’s environmental champions.

Wrapped up in warm clothes and wellie boots, volunteers collected 51 bags of rubbish from the beach including plastic bottles, household waste and fishing gear.

Mid & East Anrim Council provided volunteers with bags, litter pickers and gloves, and took away the rubbish for proper disposal.

Katy Bell of AES UK & Ireland organised the event. She said “Improving lives in the communities near our plants is at the core of AES’ work. Andrew Jackson Cottage is an important tourist attraction, and we wanted to improve the experience of walking along the beach for residents and visitors. Our people were happy to put aside a few hours in the cold to clean up the beach we live and work beside.”

Dave Wall, Living Seas Officer with Ulster Wildlife said, “Marine litter, from string to oil to plastics, is a huge threat to our seas, killing at least a million birds and hundreds of thousands of marine mammals and turtles every year. Much marine litter is not biodegradeable and will last for centuries, so every local beach clean helps save wildlife for years to come.”

Throughout 2015 AES and Ulster Wildlife are celebrating ten years of partnership protecting and enhancing biodiversity.

About AES UK & Ireland

AES UK & Ireland is the owner and operator of Ballylumford and Kilroot Power Stations in Northern Ireland. AES has operated in Northern Ireland since 1992. AES won the 2015 Allianz Arts & Business 2015 Business of the Year, and is the only company to achieve silver accreditation in Business in the Community NI’s CORE corporate sustainability certification. To learn more, please visit @aes_ukireland (https://twitter.com/aes_ukireland) on Twitter and www.aesukireland.com

About AES

The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) is a Fortune 200 global power company. We provide affordable, sustainable energy to 18 countries through our diverse portfolio of distribution businesses as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. Our workforce of 18,500 people is committed to operational excellence and meeting the world’s changing power needs. Our 2014 revenues were $17 billion and we own and manage $39 billion in total assets. To learn more, please visit www.aes.com. Follow AES on Twitter @TheAESCorp (https://twitter.com/theaescorp) .

Ulster Wildlife (http://www.ulsterwildlife.org/)

Ulster Wildlife is part of The Wildlife Trusts – a partnership of 47 covering the whole of the UK. Ulster Wildlife Trust is a local charity that champions native wildlife in Northern Ireland. We work with local people to secure space for nature in our countryside, towns, coastlines and seas. Through our twin visions of Living Landscapes and Living Seas we work to inspire people to champion nature; protect and restore habitats through practical action and research; stand up for nature by influencing government policy; and promote health and well-being through enjoyment of the natural environment. We have approximately 12,000 members in Northern Ireland who provide vital support for our work.