Chandradhar Prasad, 38
Principal Engineer (Control & Automation) – Power generation
NIKO Engineering Ltd.
Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand
What Makes Chandra an Engineering Leader
Within less than a year of joining NIKO Engineering as principal engineer, Chandra has delivered complex, high-impact engineering at the intersection of power systems, control automation and energy innovation.
Leading the MK20 geothermal reinjection pumping station upgrade—a technically demanding project involving new variable-frequency drive (VFD) design and integration, custom interface board design, cascading PID control systems and unmanned automation—demonstrates his technical depth and versatility. Beyond his primary role, Chandra co-founded Kevee Technology, secured a New Zealand Government Innovation Seed Grant and delivered Bangladesh’s first solar-powered smart electric vehicle (EV) charging park. He does not just engineer solutions—he helps engineer the future.
Leadership & Industry Contributions
When tasked with expanding the MK20 geothermal reinjection pumping station, Chandra faced compounding technical constraints: an existing VFD incapable of accepting SCADA power inputs, a new VFD with insufficient motor monitoring integration, an undersized electrical board and low-flow measurement challenges for pump seal lines.
Rather than compromising, Chandra led his team in engineering purpose-built solutions at every stage. He designed a custom interface control and monitoring board, redesigned the motor protection philosophy, and developed a paddle-type flow meter with thermal syphon integration. His leadership extended beyond technical direction. He unified cross-functional teams across electrical, instrumentation and control disciplines under a formal engineering methodology, ensuring budget efficiency and process optimization. The result was a fully automated, unmanned pumping station delivered with precision on a compressed timeline within his first year.
Chandra’s industry contributions and innovations span multiple countries and technologies. He filed a provisional patent with IP Australia for grid-level energy modulation technology through Kevee Technology, and his work was recognized with an Innovation Seed Grant from the New Zealand government. He also introduced Grid Roaming for Charging and a Distributed Charging Network demonstrated across New Zealand.
Internationally, Chandra designed and delivered Bangladesh’s first and largest solar-based smart EV charging park. In product development, he designed a smart lithium battery pack to replace hazardous lead-acid batteries for three-wheeler EV rickshaws and developed an Open Charge Point Protocol–based smart charger that reduced charging times from 12 hours to 2.5 hours.
Why Chandra Chose This Career
Growing up in Bangladesh, Chandra witnessed daily how unreliable power infrastructure shaped and limited people’s lives. That reality ignited a passion for energy systems and the conviction that engineering could be a powerful force for equity.
Chandra pursued specialization in control, automation and power systems, building expertise across battery energy storage systems, VFD technology, instrumentation and EV charging. Each career step has been deliberate, moving toward greater complexity, impact and innovation. For Chandra, entering the power generation industry in New Zealand represents the convergence of deep technical mastery and a lifelong commitment to building energy systems that work for everyone.
