Megawatt (MW)
Exactly one million watts.
What is a megawatt?
- Symbol
- MW
- Quantity
- Power
- Unit system
- SI
- Definition
- Exactly one million watts.
- Exact
- Yes, the value is exact by definition
- Source
- SI Brochure, 9th edition (BIPM, 2019)
Common applications
Used for wind turbines, power plants and large industrial sites.
Megawatt in other power units
- 1 MW = 1000000000 mWMilliwatt
- 1 MW = 1000000 WWatt
- 1 MW = 1000 kWKilowatt
- 1 MW = 0.001 GWGigawatt
- 1 MW ≈ 1341.02209 hpHorsepower (mechanical)
- 1 MW ≈ 1359.621617 PSHorsepower (metric)
- 1 MW ≈ 3412141.633 BTU/hBTU (IT) per hour
- 1 MW ≈ 737562.1493 ft·lbf/sFoot-pound-force per second
Megawatt quick reference
| Megawatt | Kilowatt | Horsepower (mechanical) | Milliwatt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 MW | = 1000 kW | ≈ 1341.02209 hp | = 1000000000 mW |
| 10 MW | = 10000 kW | ≈ 13410.2209 hp | = 10000000000 mW |
| 100 MW | = 100000 kW | ≈ 134102.209 hp | = 100000000000 mW |
| 1000 MW | = 1000000 kW | ≈ 1341022.09 hp | = 1000000000000 mW |
Where the megawatt fits
The next smaller power unit is the kilowatt (kW). 1 MW = 1000 kW, and 1 kW = 0.001 MW.
The next larger power unit is the gigawatt (GW). 1 MW = 0.001 GW, and 1 GW = 1000 MW.
Frequently asked questions
- How many kilowatts are in one megawatt?
- One megawatt = 1000 kW (kilowatts).
- How many horsepower are in one megawatt?
- One megawatt ≈ 1341.02209 hp (horsepower).
- How many milliwatts are in one megawatt?
- One megawatt = 1000000000 mW (milliwatts).