Name
Dr Chandana Samarasinghe
Job title
Senior Engineering Manager, Grid and SCADA, APAC, ONW
Organisation
GE Vernova
Speaker biography
Dr Chandana Samarasinghe is an experienced grid and power systems professional with more than 25 years of experience across the energy sector. His career spans renewable generation, engineering consultancy, network utilities, system and market operators, regulators, and research and academic institutions.
Chandana currently serves as Senior Engineer Manager Grid and SCADA, ONW, APAC GE Vernova, where he leads grid-related and technical engagement activities for renewable and storage projects. Prior to this, he led Risen Energy Australia’s grid connection team, providing technical leadership and stakeholder engagement to support the successful delivery of renewable energy projects, including the grid connection of two 100 MW solar farms operating in the NEM and WEM.
He previously worked as Principal Consulting Engineer at PSC, where he provided technical leadership for renewable generation connections and system studies, while also contributing expertise in HV substations, asset management, and transmission assets. His experience included secondments to Western Power, the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), and Senvion Australia on projects of major significance.
Chandana also spent five years at AEMO as Principal Engineer in both the National and Victorian Planning Groups, contributing to major planning publications including the Australian National Transmission Network Development Plan (NTNDP), the Victorian Annual Planning Report (VAPR), and the review of 10-year asset replacement plans.
Earlier in his career, Chandana held engineering and planning roles in New Zealand with Wellington Electricity, the Electricity Authority of New Zealand, Transpower NZ, and PB Power building a strong foundation in network operations, planning, and power system analysis.
He holds a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Auckland and an MBA from Deakin University.
Chandana currently serves as Senior Engineer Manager Grid and SCADA, ONW, APAC GE Vernova, where he leads grid-related and technical engagement activities for renewable and storage projects. Prior to this, he led Risen Energy Australia’s grid connection team, providing technical leadership and stakeholder engagement to support the successful delivery of renewable energy projects, including the grid connection of two 100 MW solar farms operating in the NEM and WEM.
He previously worked as Principal Consulting Engineer at PSC, where he provided technical leadership for renewable generation connections and system studies, while also contributing expertise in HV substations, asset management, and transmission assets. His experience included secondments to Western Power, the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), and Senvion Australia on projects of major significance.
Chandana also spent five years at AEMO as Principal Engineer in both the National and Victorian Planning Groups, contributing to major planning publications including the Australian National Transmission Network Development Plan (NTNDP), the Victorian Annual Planning Report (VAPR), and the review of 10-year asset replacement plans.
Earlier in his career, Chandana held engineering and planning roles in New Zealand with Wellington Electricity, the Electricity Authority of New Zealand, Transpower NZ, and PB Power building a strong foundation in network operations, planning, and power system analysis.
He holds a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Auckland and an MBA from Deakin University.
Speaking At
Presentation title
Smart Transmission Corridors: Designing Australia’s Next-Generation Backbone for High-Wind Renewable Energy Zones
Presentation summary
Australia’s world-class wind resources — from South-West NSW to North Queensland and Tasmania — are often located far from the load centres of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. As a result, the rapid growth of renewable energy is increasingly constrained by the availability, strength, and flexibility of long transmission corridors. Traditional transmission-upgrade timelines (7–12 years) are no longer compatible with the pace of wind-farm development. This paper introduces the concept of Smart Transmission Corridors, a planning and operational framework that integrates three enabling technologies: Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) Power-Flow Control Devices (PFCDs) Modular High-Voltage Direct-Current Links (modular HVDC) These technologies enable real-time capacity expansion, congestion relief, and improved system strength without requiring immediate large-scale transmission builds. Modelling across three representative Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) shows that smart-corridor deployment can increase hosting capacity by 20–35%, reduce wind curtailment by 25–40%, and materially enhance grid reliability. The paper concludes with a regulatory roadmap for integrating smart-corridor tools into Australian market and planning processes.
