Convert Megawatt-Hours to Kilotons of TNT
Convert Megawatt-Hours (MWh) to Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT)) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
kt(TNT) = MWh × 0.0008604206501
About Megawatt-Hours
A megawatt-hour (MWh) is the energy from 1 MW for one hour - exactly 3.6 GJ. It is the standard unit for wholesale electricity trading. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) specify capacity and price in $/MWh or €/MWh. A 5 MW wind turbine at full capacity generates 5 MWh/h. Primary aluminium smelting consumes 13-15 MWh per tonne. The Moss Landing battery (California) stores 3,287 MWh. The daily output of a 1 GW nuclear plant at 90% capacity factor is ~21,600 MWh. 1 MWh = 3.6 GJ = 3,412,141 BTU = 1,000 kWh.
About Kilotons of TNT
A kiloton of TNT (kt(TNT)) = 10³ tons of TNT = exactly 4.184 TJ. It is the standard unit for sub-megaton nuclear weapon yields. Hiroshima's Little Boy: ~12-18 kt; Nagasaki's Fat Man: ~19-23 kt. The W88 warhead (Trident II) is ~475 kt; the W76 is ~100 kt. The Beirut port explosion (2020): estimated 0.5-1.1 kt. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake releases ~0.5-2 kt of seismic energy. A kiloton blast creates a fireball ~90-100 m radius and a lethal thermal radius of ~1-2 km. 1 kt(TNT) = 4.184 TJ = 1,162.8 MWh.
Quick Reference Table
| Megawatt-Hours (MWh) | Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT)) |
|---|---|
| 1 MWh | 0.000860421 kt(TNT) |
| 2 MWh | 0.00172084 kt(TNT) |
| 5 MWh | 0.0043021 kt(TNT) |
| 10 MWh | 0.00860421 kt(TNT) |
| 25 MWh | 0.0215105 kt(TNT) |
| 50 MWh | 0.043021 kt(TNT) |
| 100 MWh | 0.0860421 kt(TNT) |