Convert Megawatt to Mechanical Horsepower (MW → hp)

Converting megawatts to mechanical horsepower is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.

1. 1
   Take your value in megawatts

   Start with the number of megawatts (MW) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 1,341.0221

   The conversion factor from MW to hp is 1,341.0221. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in mechanical horsepower

   The result is your value in mechanical horsepower (hp).

Multiply the value in megawatts by 1,341.0221. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.000746.

• ✓1 MW = 1000 kW = 1,000,000 W.
• ✓GW (gigawatt) = 1000 MW for country-scale generation.
• ✓For energy output, multiply MW × hours = MWh.

• ✗Confusing MW (power) with MWh (energy).
• ✗Using kW for large generation — numbers become unwieldy.
• ✗Mixing installed capacity (MW) with actual output (which depends on use).

What is the Megawatt?

The megawatt equals 1,000,000 watts (or 1,000 kW) and rates power plants, large industrial facilities, and grid-scale renewable installations worldwide. A typical natural-gas turbine generates 50–500 MW, a nuclear reactor produces 800–1,600 MW, and the largest hydroelectric plant (Three Gorges Dam in China) has 22,500 MW capacity. Wind turbines are rated 1.5–15 MW each (modern offshore turbines reach 14 MW). Solar farms range from 50 MW (small) to 1,500+ MW (large utility-scale projects). Electric grid demand for entire countries is measured in gigawatts (1 GW = 1,000 MW): the United States peaks at about 750 GW. The megawatt relates to the kilowatt (1,000 kW = 1 MW), the gigawatt (1,000 MW = 1 GW), and the megawatt-hour (when multiplied by time). Electricity wholesale markets bid in MW capacity and MWh energy.

• Power-station electrical output
• Wind and solar farm capacity
• Large industrial electricity consumption

What is the Mechanical Horsepower?

Horsepower (hp) equals exactly 745.6998715822702 watts (mechanical horsepower) and is the American and British unit for car engines, motorcycles, motorboats, and traditional mechanical power ratings. James Watt invented the unit in the 1780s to market his steam engines: he calculated that a brewery horse could continuously turn a mill wheel at 33,000 ft·lb per minute, which became 1 horsepower. American cars typically range from 150 hp (economy) to 700 hp (sports cars), pickup trucks 250–500 hp, and large diesel trucks 400–600 hp. Outside the US, the metric horsepower (PS or CV, equal to 735.5 W — about 1.4% smaller than mechanical hp) is sometimes used. Horsepower relates to the watt (1 hp ≈ 745.7 W), the kilowatt (1 hp ≈ 0.746 kW), and the metric horsepower (1 hp ≈ 1.014 PS). Despite SI's preference for the watt, horsepower remains entrenched in automotive marketing.

• US car and motorcycle engine ratings
• Lawn mower and small engine specs
• US pump and compressor ratings