prototlpe module to be increased to slightly more than LO tons per arlnum - an inprovenent of about ?0 ner cent over the original design revealed by Dr. ioux in197r.36/ L9. South Africars plans originally ca11ed for the construction of a conmercial enricbment facility I'rith a capacity of 5,000tons Strtu/year to begin operation by f98l+, 37 / It was esbinated that an additi onal- $375 mittion per year in foreign exchan€\e earnings ould result from selling 1or,r enriched uranium rather thanyellovcake. 38/ Atra all nernr South African uranium supply contracts contain aclause stipulating that if an enrichment capability exists, uraniura delivered after l-986 vi1l be delivered as enriched uranir.un hexafluoride, or UFI, 39,/ even thoughplans for a conmercial facility have been sh€1ved for financial and other reasons. Instead., the Uraniun Enrichment Corporation has announced that the prototype enricbment plant is to be expand.ed; infornation provided to INFCX indicates that atotal enrichment capacity of about 200-300 tons SIIIJ/year is to be developed. by 1985. !E Tn the absence of any other source of supply, less than 2OO tons Slru/year 3:./ ftfi,1. : Crant q-t_-3!. , "The Cascade ilr-chniquc tor the South ,t'.ir i c i,.n Enri cl,r.,ent Process"" prr. 2C-21. 3I+/1.lFaF irlr atrl:i::- ' tt'tla.! 1975. 35/ l"anson Benedict, 'Enrichment: A Critical Scatus Feport", o.p.r presenbedat Meeting of American Nuclear Society, ttrashington, D.C., 16 November 1976, p. 5, 36/ Newby-Fraser, Chain Reaction, p. 11f. That stated capaci.ty for theprototype facility is somelrhat larger than, but not inconsistent with, theestimate in the report of the rnternational Nuclear ruel cycle Evaluation (rNIcE)working Group 2 on enrichment. see rnte"national Nuclear Fuel, cycfe Evaluation " Enrichnent Availability, Report of I,Iorking Group 2, rNFcE/pC/?/?, p. TZ. 37 Roux and Grant, rrThe South African Uranium Enri chment project", p. 1t+. 38/ lobert Gillette, "Uranium Enrichment: I,lith 1Ietp South Africa isProgressing", Scienee, vo1. 1BB, 13 June !97j, p. IA}I.
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the development of a uranium enrichment facility in South Africa, with a focus on the economic benefits and the impact on the country's uranium supply. The language used is technical and specific, suggesting that the text is intended for an audience with a background in nuclear energy or related fields.

**Category**
Natural resources and environment, Industry