File No. _________________


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                                Washington, D.C.

                                    FORM U-57

                 NOTIFICATION OF FOREIGN UTILITY COMPANY STATUS

                        Filed under section 33(a) of the

             Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended

                              MEDWAY POWER LIMITED
                        (Name of foreign utility company)

                               THE AES CORPORATION
    (Name of filing company, if filed on behalf of a foreign utility company)


ITEM 1

         Foreign  utility  status is claimed by Medway  Power  Limited  ("Medway
Power"),  located in Southeast England on the Isle of Grain. Medway Power owns a
660 megawatt combined cycle gas-fired power plant.

         Medway Power is a joint venture among AES Medway Electric Limited ("AES
Medway"), an indirectly owned U.K. subsidiary of The AES Corporation ("AES") and
Southern  Electric Power Generation  Limited (a subsidiary of Southern  Electric
plc)  ("Southern") and SEEBOARD  (Generation)  Limited (a subsidiary of SEEBOARD
plc)  ("SEEBOARD").  Southern and SEEBOARD  were sold into private  ownership in
1990 as part of  theUK's  electricity  privatisation  programme.  Their  primary
business  is  the  distribution  and  supply  of  electricity  to  domestic  and
industrial customers. Southern is based in Maidenhead, Berkshire and SEEBOARD is
based  in Hove,  East  Sussex.  AES  Medway  Operations  Limited  ("AESMO"),  an
indirectly owned U.K. subsidiary of AES, operates and maintains the plant.

         Medway Power sells its entire output through national  electricity pool
trading  arrangements  (the "Pool") at prices based on the supply of, and demand
for,  electricity  available in the Pool. In addition,  Medway Power has entered
into a contract  with each of Southern and  SEEBOARD,  under which  Southern and
SEEBOARD will pay Medway Power capacity  payments based on the plant's available
capacity,  and  energy  cost  payments,  based on the  plant's  actual  sales of
electricity  to the Pool,  that  reflect  fuel costs and  variable  transmission
charges incurred (each a "Contract for Differences"). The basis of the contracts
is 660 megawatts. Sales of electrical output in excess of 660 megawatts are sold
into the Pool, and not subject to the Contract for Differences.


ITEM 2

         Not Applicable.

EXHIBIT A

         Not Applicable.


         The undersigned  company has duly caused this statement to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                    By:   /s/ William R. Luraschi
                           ---------------------------
                           William R. Luraschi
                           General Counsel
                           The AES Corporation
                           1001 N. 19th Street
                           Arlington, Virginia 22209
                           (703) 522-1315


Dated:     December 23, 1997