Megawatts to Gigawatts Converter
Enter a value to instantly convert between power units.
1 Megawatt = 0.001 Gigawatt
Key Formulas
Kilowatt → Horsepower (mech)
hp = kW × 1.34102Horsepower (mech) → Kilowatt
kW = hp × 0.7457Watt → Kilowatt
kW = W × 0.001Kilowatt → Watt
W = kW × 1000Formula
GW = MW ÷ 1000Individual power plants are rated in megawatts, but national grid capacity and renewable energy targets are expressed in gigawatts. When a country announces a '100 GW solar target', project developers and grid planners need to think in MW-scale individual plants adding up to the GW goal. A 500 MW nuclear unit is 0.5 GW — and ten such units reach 5 GW, enough to power millions of homes.
Source: NIST SP 811, Table B.8
Last reviewed: · see our methodology
Frequently Asked Questions
Real-World Examples
1,000 MW of total solar capacity in a region = 1 GW — a significant renewable milestone often used in policy targets.
1000 MW = 1 GW
A large 500 MW coal power station = 0.5 GW — a major baseload provider serving about 300,000–400,000 homes.
500 MW = 0.5 GW
A nuclear power facility with four 500 MW reactors = 2,000 MW = 2 GW total capacity — powering a large metropolitan area.
2000 MW = 2 GW
A 100 MW offshore wind farm = 0.1 GW — a medium-scale renewable project, typically 25–40 turbines.
100 MW = 0.1 GW