Kvitsøy Vessel Traffic Service Centre

Its main responsibility is handling traffic headed to the gas terminal at Kårstø, as well as the entire coast between Bømlafjorden and Jærens rev.

Proposals for a VTS serving Boknafjorden and Rogaland were launched in the wake of the 1992 opening of Fedje Vessel Traffic Service Centre.

[3] Horten Vessel Traffic Service Centre, which serves the Oslofjord, was prioritized ahead of Kvitsøy and opened in 1999.

VTSes cover their operating expenses entirely through charging a safety fee on all commercial ships docking in the jurisdiction.

Half the operating costs of Kvitsøy were placed on gas tankers to Kårstø, initially 74 øre per gross tonnage.

[6] Initially the VTS also housed a remove pilot station, allowing for the remote guidance of vessels from Kvitsøy.

[5] A 2005 report concluded that the remote piloting service was not able to cut costs or improve safety and was subsequently abolished.

A 30-million upgrade was also carried out on the technical equipment at the station, allowing for a better overview and real-time updates on ship positions.

The center can draw on data from the Automatic Identification System, six local radars, meteorology, SafeSeaNet and video cameras.

[9] The VTS is financed through fees charged on the heavy shipping traffic which creates the need for the center.

[7] The station is at any time staffed with two traffic controllers and a pilot dispatcher, the facility employees 25 people on the island, making it the second-largest employer after the municipality.