‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar has announced that its Fab 7 solar cell plant in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China had a significant fire incident overnight on July 13, 2017.

JA Solar said that cell manufacturing equipment affected by a fire that lasted between 1:32 AM Beijing time to around 6:00 AM the same day, related to old production lines installed in 2009 and accounted for only around 6% (330MW approx) of its total solar cell nameplate capacity. The old lines were expected to be replaced in the next 12 months, according to the company.

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JA Solar had a solar cell nameplate capacity of 5,500 MW per annum at the end of 2016.

The company said that the cause of the fire had not been identified and was under investigation.

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c-si manufacturing, china, ja solar, solar cell

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