AES El Salvador completed the process for the final disposal of almost 1,200 pieces of electrical equipment containing waste oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls, better known as PCBs. To achieve this, the energy company arranged for them to be shipped by sea to a plant with specialized technology in Spain, where they will be definitively disposed of to avoid their environmental impact.

Since the drafting of global regulations for the proper management of these wastes, AES, in coordination with the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN), has worked on the removal and storage of these harmful components. Recently, the company obtained environmental permits from the governments of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Belgium, Holland, and Spain to reach this last destination and dispose of them properly.

"We are committed to serving our communities with a high level of excellence, which implies looking after the health and well-being of ecosystems. Therefore, we work together with public institutions and specialized companies to provide an environmentally responsible solution by permanently eliminating harmful waste from obsolete electrical equipment and thus contribute to the protection of health and the environment", said Wilfredo Flores, Safety and Environment manager of AES El Salvador.

According to the company, the electricity distributors sent for final disposal:

• AES CAESS: 567 equipment, representing 56% of the shipment.
• AES EEO and AES DEUSEM: 341 units, equivalent to 25% of the shipment.
• AES CLESA: 240 units, representing 19% of the total shipment.

The colombian company FUERA International, an expert in handling and transporting these chemicals, was in charge of transporting all the equipment with PCB particles; and for the final elimination, the services of AGR, the first company established in Spain and the one with the greatest capacity in the treatment and decontamination of PCB equipment and transformers, were contracted.

With this initiative, AES El Salvador continues to promote the energy transition, betting on a cleaner and more environmentally sustainable operation, which contributes to accelerate the future of energy.

Translated by: A.M