Convert Megawatt-Hours to Kilotons of TNT

Convert Megawatt-Hours (MWh) to Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT)) instantly and accurately.

Megawatt-Hours (MWh)
Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT))

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 MWh0.000860421 kt(TNT)
2 MWh0.00172084 kt(TNT)
5 MWh0.0043021 kt(TNT)
10 MWh0.00860421 kt(TNT)
25 MWh0.0215105 kt(TNT)
50 MWh0.043021 kt(TNT)
100 MWh0.0860421 kt(TNT)

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