The system will be capable of safely transferring work crew in weather of up to -28 degrees Celsius, said Ampelmann.

The winterised system called “Icemann” will be installed on one of Sakhalin Energy’s new ice-breaking support vessels which is due next year.

The contract duration will be 10 years, and the system will deal with extreme icing, vibrations and vessel motions.

Jim Craig, Ampelmann's chief executive, said his company had been co-operating with Sakhalin Energy since 2013.

"Since