Saudi produces around 10 million barrels of oil a day - and a barrel of oil contains around 6 GJ.
Let's put that in scientific notation, as the zeroes will get away from us:
10^7 barrels at 6*10^9 J = 6*10^16 J/day.
Over one year, that equals 365 * 6*10^16 = 2.2 * 10^19 J/yr
Now let's look at wind farms: a 1GW Wind farm, operating at a capacity factor of (let’s be generous) 50%, over a year produces 8760 * 60 * 60 * 50% * 10^9 = 16 * 10^15 J/yr = 1.6 * 10^16 J/yr
Roughly speaking, dividing 2.2 * 10^19 by 1.6 * 10^16 = about 1400.
So we need 1400 x 1 GW wind farms to be energy equivalent to Saudi Arabia. With 12 GW already installed in Europe, and plans to get to around 230 GW by 2030, we're a long way off. And as for the tidal energy claim, I think it only stands up if we consider it a commentary on concentration of resources, not absolute levels.
Let's put that in scientific notation, as the zeroes will get away from us:
10^7 barrels at 6*10^9 J = 6*10^16 J/day.
Over one year, that equals 365 * 6*10^16 = 2.2 * 10^19 J/yr
Now let's look at wind farms: a 1GW Wind farm, operating at a capacity factor of (let’s be generous) 50%, over a year produces 8760 * 60 * 60 * 50% * 10^9 = 16 * 10^15 J/yr = 1.6 * 10^16 J/yr
Roughly speaking, dividing 2.2 * 10^19 by 1.6 * 10^16 = about 1400.
So we need 1400 x 1 GW wind farms to be energy equivalent to Saudi Arabia. With 12 GW already installed in Europe, and plans to get to around 230 GW by 2030, we're a long way off. And as for the tidal energy claim, I think it only stands up if we consider it a commentary on concentration of resources, not absolute levels.
