Convert Horsepower to Megawatts
Horsepower to megawatts is the conversion you need when power runs large — big engines, generators, or industrial machinery — and horsepower stops being easy to picture. One horsepower is approximately 0.0007456998715822703 megawatts, so the number gets very small when you switch to megawatts. This is the mechanical (imperial) horsepower used for US and UK engines.
Horsepower (mechanical) to Megawatts conversion table
| Horsepower (mechanical) (hp) | Megawatts (MW) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.000746 |
| 2 | 0.001491 |
| 3 | 0.002237 |
| 5 | 0.003728 |
| 10 | 0.007457 |
| 20 | 0.014914 |
| 50 | 0.037285 |
| 100 | 0.07457 |
| 500 | 0.37285 |
| 1,000 | 0.7457 |
The formula
To convert horsepower to megawatts, multiply the number of horsepower by 0.0007456998715822703:
megawatts = horsepower × 0.0007456998715822703
A worked example
Say you have a 1000-horsepower engine and want its output in megawatts:
1000 × 0.0007456998715822703 = 0.74569987 MW
So a 1000-horsepower engine puts out about 0.75 megawatts.
Why it's an approximation
The horsepower here is the mechanical (imperial) horsepower, defined as 550 foot-pounds-force per second. That imperial definition doesn't divide evenly into the watt, so one horsepower works out to a long, non-terminating 0.0007456998715822703 megawatts. Because the underlying numbers don't line up cleanly, the result stays approximate however many decimals you keep. Note this is a shade larger than the metric horsepower (PS) used on European spec sheets.
When you'll use it
Sizing large engines, ship propulsion, generators, and industrial machinery, where horsepower ratings are big enough that megawatts become the easier unit to read.
Frequently asked questions
How many megawatts are in one horsepower?
About 0.0007456998715822703 megawatts. It's a tiny, rounded figure — one horsepower is a small slice of a megawatt, so this conversion only feels natural once you're dealing with hundreds or thousands of horsepower.
Why is the megawatt number so small?
A megawatt is a million watts, and one horsepower is only about 745.7 watts. So a single horsepower is a very small fraction of a megawatt — you need well over a thousand horsepower before the megawatt figure passes one.
Is the horsepower to megawatts conversion exact?
No. The mechanical (imperial) horsepower comes from imperial units that don't line up cleanly with the watt, so 0.0007456998715822703 is a rounded value. Keep more decimals if you need more precision.