Originating at a height of 730m near Ambuthirtha, in Shimoga district, the Sharavathi river flows in a north-west direction. In its long, 132-km journey, the Sharavathi is joined by several tributaries. After a stretch of 80 km along its course, the river drops down a steep mountain face of 293m – a visually delightful spectacle known as the Jog Falls. From this breathtaking leap, the river continues its journey till it flows into the Arabian Sea near Honnavar.

The Sharavathi Hydro Electric Project is today the backbone of Karnataka’s power generating arsenal. The Sharavathi Generating Station with its 10 Units has an installed capacity of 1035 MW and the Linganamakki Dam Powerhouse with 2 units has an installed capacity of 55 MW. To further tap the potential of the Sharavathi river, KPCL has installed at the Gerusoppa Dam Project, four generating Units of 60 MW each, totalling to 240 MW.

The unique feature of the Sharavathi Project is the establishment of 1035 MW resource under one roof, with an annual yield of 5000 MU.The project has equipment from US, Canada, France, Japan and other specified markets. The generating units have been recently renovated and upgraded.

The KPCL blueprint identifies Sharavathi as its "Master Station" – a headpoint that will control all peripheral stations through a nodal monitoring system. The prime objective here is to optimize power generation through a systematic integration of several reservoirs and water conductor systems.