Convert Megawatt to Metric Horsepower (MW → PS)

Converting megawatts to metric 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 1,359.6216

   The conversion factor from MW to PS is 1,359.6216. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in metric horsepower

   The result is your value in metric horsepower (PS).

Multiply the value in megawatts by 1,359.6216. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.000735.

• ✓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 Metric Horsepower?

The Pferdestärke (PS), also called metric horsepower or 'cheval vapeur' (CV) in French, equals exactly 735.49875 watts — about 1.4% smaller than mechanical horsepower. Defined as the power needed to lift 75 kg by 1 meter in 1 second under standard gravity, the PS is the European traditional power unit for car engines. German, French, Italian, and Japanese car manufacturers historically rated engines in PS, and the unit persists in marketing — '300 PS' sounds slightly higher than '300 hp' to consumers. EU regulations require power to be specified primarily in kW, with PS allowed as a secondary unit. The PS relates to the watt (1 PS ≈ 735.5 W), the kilowatt (1 PS ≈ 0.7355 kW), and the mechanical horsepower (1 PS ≈ 0.9863 hp). The slight difference between PS and hp is mostly imperceptible in casual use but noticeable in precise engineering specifications.

• European car and motorcycle ratings
• Italian and German engine specs
• Some European industrial equipment