Convert Megawatts to Kilowatts
1 megawatt is 1,000 kW. One megawatt is exactly 1000 kilowatts.
One megawatt is 1000 kilowatts. To convert megawatts to kilowatts, multiply by 1000; to go the other way, divide by 1000 or multiply by 0.001. The factor is exact rather than rounded: it follows from NIST Special Publication 811. A million watts.
Factor checked against the defining standard · How we check
- Megawatts × 1000
value * 10001,000 kW
1 megawatt in every power unit
| Unit | Value | Exact factor |
|---|---|---|
| horsepower | 1,341.02209 hp | × 1,341.0220896 |
| metric horsepower | 1,359.621617 PS | × 1,359.6216173 |
| watts | 1,000,000 W | × 1,000,000 |
| kilowatts | 1,000 kW | × 1,000 |
| megawatts (as entered) | 1 MW | — |
| BTU per hour | 3,412,141.633 BTU/h | × 3,412,141.63313 |
Factors are entered by hand from NIST Special Publication 811 rather than derived from a units library, so the ones that terminate are exact rather than rounded.
How do you convert megawatts to kilowatts?
- 1.Take the measurement in megawatts.
- 2.Multiply by 1000 — that is how many kilowatts fit in one megawatt.
- 3.To go back the other way, divide by 1000, or multiply by 0.001.
Worked example: 25 megawatts to kilowatts
- Formula
- MW × 1000 = kW
- Arithmetic
- 25 × 1000 = 25,000 kW
- Answer
- 25 MW = 25,000 kW
The factor is exact, so this figure is exact too — only the display is rounded.
Megawatts to kilowatts conversion table
| Megawatts | Kilowatts |
|---|---|
| 1 MW | 1,000 kW |
| 2 MW | 2,000 kW |
| 3 MW | 3,000 kW |
| 4 MW | 4,000 kW |
| 5 MW | 5,000 kW |
| 6 MW | 6,000 kW |
| 7 MW | 7,000 kW |
| 8 MW | 8,000 kW |
| 9 MW | 9,000 kW |
| 10 MW | 10,000 kW |
| 12 MW | 12,000 kW |
| 15 MW | 15,000 kW |
| 20 MW | 20,000 kW |
| 25 MW | 25,000 kW |
| 50 MW | 50,000 kW |
| 100 MW | 100,000 kW |
| 200 MW | 200,000 kW |
| 300 MW | 300,000 kW |
| 500 MW | 500,000 kW |
| 1000 MW | 1,000,000 kW |
| 2000 MW | 2,000,000 kW |
| 5000 MW | 5,000,000 kW |
| 10000 MW | 10,000,000 kW |
What is a megawatt?
A million watts. Generating plant and grid capacity are quoted in it: one megawatt runs roughly 750 homes in the US at average draw.
What is a kilowatt?
A thousand watts. Electric motors, kettles and EV chargers are rated here, and a kilowatt is close to 1.34 horsepower.
How many kilowatts are in a megawatt?
One megawatt is 1000 kilowatts, exactly. Going the other way, one kilowatt is 0.001 megawatts. Both figures come from the same defined relation rather than from a measurement, which is why they are the same today as they were in 1959.
Every power unit here
| Unit | Symbol | One of these is |
|---|---|---|
| Horsepower | hp | 745.69987 watt |
| Metric horsepower | PS | 735.49875 watt |
| Watts | W | the base unit |
| Kilowatts | kW | 1000 watt |
| Megawatts | MW | 1000000 watt |
| BTU per hour | BTU/h | 0.29307107 watt |
Source: NIST Special Publication 811 — mechanical horsepower is 550 ft·lbf/s exactly
Questions people actually ask
- How many kilowatts are in a megawatt?
- 1000. A thousand watts. Electric motors, kettles and EV chargers are rated here, and a kilowatt is close to 1.34 horsepower.
- How do I convert kilowatts back to megawatts?
- Divide by 1000, or multiply by 0.001 — they are the same operation.
Other power conversions
Kilowatts to megawatts — the same conversion the other way.