Hopes for the development of pebble-bed nuclear reactor technology, long held up as a safer alternative to conventional nuclear power, have suffered a blow. The South African government confirmed that it will effectively stop funding a long-term project to develop the technology.

Access to modern forms of energy continues to elude the majority of households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and only about 30% of the population has access to electricity while 90% relies on traditional fuels for cooking and heating. The central question addressed in this review is whether or not SSA can provide access to modern energy services for its entire population by 2030.

Since 2006, South Africa

Using paraffin (kerosene) for cooking, heating or lighting is strongly associated with poverty in South Africa. In addition, many regard it to be the most dangerous form of household energy because of the high profile given to the unacceptably high number of harmful paraffin related domestic incidents that have taken place.

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) experts suggest that agreement among stakeholders on project objectives, a baseline study and a programme of consistent data collection, review and analysis are the cornerstones of good practice. This article describes an