Several days of angry demonstrations by local residents after a leak of fluoride from a cell manufacturing plant owned by JinkoSolar have led to the plant closing. According to reports, the plant had been warned of environmental noncompliance earlier this year, but after residents broke through gates, overturning cars and ransacking offices, local government officials have ordered the closure of the plant in Hongxiao, Haining city in eastern Zhejiang province, China.

The demonstrations by as many as 500 people started last week and continued through the weekend, despite police attempts to dispel demonstrators. JinkoSolar had made no public comments about the incident until today when CFO Zhang Longgen was quoted as saying that fluoride-based waste containers, which had been stored outside, had leaked after heavy rains in late August had polluted a nearby river. Reuters said in updated news that Jinko held a press conference today in which the company apologised for the leak.

There has been widespread concern within the PV industry for several years that environmental regulations surrounding manufacturing plants in China were lax in comparison with plants in Europe and the US, giving Chinese producers an unfair advantage.

However, the recent leakage at Jinko and claims of previous noncompliance could have far-reaching consequences for the company, Chinese PV manufacturers, and the industry in general.

Correction: Initially it was reported that the Haining facility was thought to be a module production line, however updated reports including those from JinkSolar highlight that it was solar cell manufacturing facility where the chemical leak and demonstrations took place.

Update 1

In a moment of irony, bad timing or worse, JinkoSolar announced a sponsorship deal with a US NFL football team, the San Francisco 49ers.

In a statement, Paraag Marathe, COO for the 49ers, commented: “Our agreement with JinkoSolar is a reflection of the San Francisco 49ers’ dedication to promoting environmentally friendly practices within our facilities and throughout the greater community.”