Portugal aims to hold a debut floating wind power auction this summer, its environment and energy transition minister told media.

The Iberian nation plans to spur 3-4GW of projects that can be in place by 2026, Joao Matos Fernandes told news agency Reuters.

"Portugal wants to become a major exporter of renewable energy in the future and therefore has to bet on wind offshore," he reportedly said, adding that floating projects in deep waters could avoid the environmental permitting challenges seen for onshore renewables.