The Megawatt

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What is a Megawatt?

Commonly used to describe the output of power plants or the capacity of electrical systems.

If a plant with a 1 MW capacity works for 1 hour, it generates 1 MWh of electricity under ideal conditions.

A megawatt hour (MWh) is a unit of power that represents the rate at which energy is generated or consumed.

One megawatt is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatts or one million watts.

The watt was named in honour of James Watt (1736–1819), a Scottish mechanical engineer who developed the Watt steam engine in 1776, which was fundamental to the Industrial Revolution.

A megawatt hour of electricity in perspective

Some of the largest renewables infrastructures in the world and their capacities in MW

The largest solar power plant in the world, the Bhadla Solar Park in India, has a capacity of 2.245 MW and can power up to 4.5 million households.

The world's largest offshore wind farm, the Hornsea 2 wind farm located off the coast of the UK, began operating with a capacity of 1.386 MW, enough to power over 1.4 million homes.

The largest hydroelectric power plant in the world, the Three Gorges Dam in China, has a capacity of 22.500 MW and can power up to 63 million households.

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