In 2024, student communities at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) achieved notable results in national competitions on energy technologies and efficiency, directly supporting SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy.

• The KTU Energy Technologies Community won second place in Türkiye at TÜBİTAK’s Efficiency Challenge Electric Vehicle Competition, underlining KTU’s capacity for energy-efficiency-oriented technologies and students’ engagement in sustainable mobility.
• The Nuclear Space Team won second place in Türkiye at the Nuclear Energy Technologies Design Competition with a project proposing safe, environmentally friendly, and high-efficiency nuclear system designs.
• Sponsorship and logistics from MEKAP and the Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality advanced university–industry–public collaboration and increased the applicability of student-led clean-energy projects.

International Achievement: Shell Eco-marathon Europe & Africa 2024

The KTU Energy Technologies Team participated in Shell Eco-marathon Europe & Africa 2024 (May 19–24, 2024, France). Competing in the Urban Concept Battery Electric category with the “SPECTRON II” vehicle, the team placed 6th in Europe. KTU was among a limited number of Turkish university teams and the only team representing the Black Sea Region. The vehicle was designed to prioritize energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, reflecting KTU’s engineering capacity and student innovation aligned with SDG 7.

Reinforcing a Student-Driven Clean-Energy Ecosystem

Through volunteer teams and participation in national events such as TEKNOFEST, the KTU Energy Technologies Community has earned 350,000+ TRY in awards, which are directly reinvested into new technology development. This build-from-scratch model provides hands-on experience in clean mobility and energy efficiency, exemplifying KTU’s ongoing, youth-driven contribution to the clean-energy transition in line with SDG 7.