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At present, it can be seen that some groups are using social media to spread false information. When sharing such posts, even well-known local and international figures are sometimes included to make them look true. This is a fact check we conducted on one such post.
Social Media Posts :
The post claims that even during a global war, development projects in the country are continuing. It says that a sulfuric acid factory will be started in Pooneryn on April 10.
It further states that the project will be carried out as a 100% state-owned project, based on a presidential election promise and a government plan, and completed within about a year. It also mentions that, in the first phase, 100 metric tons of sulfuric acid will be produced monthly and 300 direct jobs will be created. It adds that all production will be exported to the United States, which would earn around 200 million dollars annually. The post also claims that the project is under the supervision of Senior Presidential Advisor on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya.
Many people have shared this post believing it to be true, even though no clear source is mentioned.
Based on requests from readers, we decided to investigate a fact check.
Fact Check :
If such a factory is to be started in Pooneryn on April 10 under full state ownership, there should have been prior publicity through state media, other media or official government channels. However, no such information has been reported.
As the post links this to an election promise, we checked previous statements. On July 14, 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke at a rally in Gampaha about restarting the Paranthan chemical factory. He mentioned plans to produce sulfuric acid there and create jobs.
However, as indicated in the social media post, he did not say that a sulfuric acid factory would be constructed in Pooneryn. He only mentioned expectations of restarting the Paranthan factory and resuming the production of sulfuric acid there.
Construction at the Paranthan Chemical Factory begins after 40 years.
The Paranthan chemical factory, which was closed in 1985, had its construction restarted on January 22, 2026, under the leadership of Sunil Handunnetti, the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.
The factory is being rebuilt with an investment of 6900 million rupees and is expected to be completed in 30 months. It will produce Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC) and Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) for the local market.
Before its closure, it produced caustic soda and liquid chlorine as main products, and hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride, and salt as byproducts. Details can be found here, here and here.
However, although President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said before coming to power that the Paranthan Chemical Factory would be rebuilt and sulfuric acid production would start, there are no reports saying that sulfuric acid will be produced at the factory during the foundation-laying ceremony in January.
Chairman of Paranthan Chemicals Company Limited, Sadanandan Nesarajan
When we inquired from the Chairman of Paranthan Chemicals Company Limited, Sadanandan Nesarajan, he stated that the post circulating on social media is not true. He also said that there are no plans to build such a chemical factory in the Pooneryn area.
We also asked whether there are any plans to produce sulfuric acid in the Paranthan factory, where construction began last January. He stated that there are no plans to produce sulfuric acid there.
Senior Presidential Advisor on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya
Since the post claimed that the Pooneryn factory is under the supervision of Senior Presidential Advisor on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya, we contacted him. He said the post is completely false and was created to mislead and cause issues for him and the government.
He further stated that there are no plans to build such a factory in Pooneryn, as mentioned on social media. He said that steps are currently being taken to start a factory for phosphate fertilizer and sulfuric acid production in Kappalthurai, Trincomalee. He also said that expressions of interest (EOI) have already been called for, and requests for proposals (RFP) have now been invited from selected investors.
The professor said that earlier, there was a plan to make sulfuric acid in Paranthan and take it to the Eppawala phosphate factory. But because of possible problems, they later decided it would be better to build both factories in the same place. He also said sulfuric acid is needed to convert local phosphate into Single Superphosphate for use in short-term crops.
The professor further explained that the phosphate project is planned in two stages.
In the first stage, sulfuric acid will be imported and used to produce super phosphate fertilizer from phosphate. In the second stage, a sulfuric acid plant will be built so that sulfuric acid can be produced locally and used for fertilizer production and other industrial needs. He also said that some investors have suggested building both plants at the same time.
For the Paranthan factory, he said it will be developed under a public private partnership to produce chemicals like hydrochloric acid and chlorine, but there is no plan to produce sulfuric acid there. He also mentioned in a Facebook post that the social media claim being shared is false and misleading.
Why was Kappalthurai selected for the sulfuric factory ?
We asked the Chairman of the Lanka Phosphate Company, Mr. Ananda Premakumara, about this. He said that even though many ideas were discussed before, they have now decided that a sulfuric acid plant is needed, and Kappalthurai in Trincomalee has been chosen as the best place to build it. He also said that they called for investors, selected eight of them, and have now asked them to send their proposals (RFPs).
The Chairman said the main goal of building the sulfuric acid plant is to meet the demand for sulfuric acid needed to produce single superphosphate. He added that it will also help supply sulfuric acid to many other industries.
The Chairman said that since it is difficult to build both the single superphosphate plant and the sulfuric acid plant at the same time, they will most likely build the single superphosphate plant first. He added that the sulfuric acid plant will be built later, in the second phase.
We also asked the Chairman why the sulfuric acid plant is not being built in Paranthan and is instead being built in Kappalthurai. He explained that the main reason is that sulfuric acid is mainly used to make single superphosphate fertilizer, so it is better to build the plant near that factory. Also, the sulfur needed for production is imported, and Trincomalee port is nearby, which makes transport easier. In addition, the plant needs a lot of water, so it is better to build it near the sea. Otherwise, it can be difficult to get environmental approval. That is why a coastal location is preferred.
The Presidential Media Division
The Presidential Media Division, responding to our inquiry, stated that the claim circulating on social media about the construction of a sulfuric acid plant in Pooneryn is false.
A picture of the world’s largest wet gas sulfuric acid plant.
The image shown in the social media post displays a mountainous area, which clearly indicates that it is not a location in Pooneryn. Based on an investigation, it was confirmed that the image shared on social media is actually of the world’s largest wet gas sulfuric acid plant located in China, with a production capacity of 300,000 tons of sulfuric acid. Reports with images can be found here and here.
Sri Lanka mainly meets its sulfuric acid requirements through imports.
Data shows that in recent years, this chemical has been imported from countries such as India, China, Malaysia, and France. Further details can be found here and here.
Short analysis of industrial sulfuric acid production
Industrial production of sulfuric acid generally involves a process called the Contact Process, which includes the following steps:
- Burning sulfur or Sulphide Ores
- Sulfur or sulfide ores are burned in the presence of oxygen to produce sulfur dioxide (SO₂).
- S+O2→SO2S + O₂ → SO₂S+O2→SO2
- Conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide
- Sulfur dioxide is then oxidized into sulfur trioxide (SO₃) using a vanadium(V) oxide catalyst in a converter.
- 2SO2+O2⇌2SO32SO₂ + O₂ ⇌ 2SO₃2SO2+O2⇌2SO3
- Formation of sulfuric acid:
- Sulfur trioxide is absorbed into concentrated sulfuric acid to form oleum (H₂S₂O₇).
- SO3+H2SO4→H2S2O7SO₃ + H₂SO₄ → H₂S₂O₇SO3+H2*SO4→H2+S2O7
- Then, oleum is diluted with water to produce sulfuric acid.
- H2S2O7+H2O→2H2SO4H₂S₂O₇ + H₂O → 2H₂SO₄H2*O7+H2O→2H2*SO4
A fact check we conducted on a news that previously circulated on social media regarding sulfuric acid production is given below.
Anura Kumara did not say that sulfuric acid can be produced from seawater.
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Conclusion :
Our fact check shows that, as stated in the social media post, there is no government plan to build a sulfuric acid factory in Pooneryn on April 10. This confirms that the other information in the post is also false. Meanwhile, although construction of the Paranthan Chemical Factory restarted in January 2026, there are no plans to produce sulfuric acid there. According to the President’s Senior Advisor on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya, a factory for phosphate fertilizer and sulfuric acid production is set to be established in Kappalthurai, Trincomalee.
Title: Fact Check: No Sulfuric Acid Factory Planned in Pooneryn Starting April 10
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo Team
Result: False
