Bell_Bay,_Tasmania
Bell Bay, Tasmania
Port
Bell Bay is an industrial centre and port located on the eastern shore of the Tamar River, in northern Tasmania, Australia. It lies just south of George Town. In the year ended June 2021, 3.6 million tonnes of exports and imports passed through Bell Bay.[3]
| Bell Bay | |
|---|---|
Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | |
| Location | Bell Bay, Tasmania |
| Coordinates | 41.130444°S 146.859199°E / -41.130444; 146.859199 |
| UN/LOCODE | AUBEL[1] |
| Details | |
| Operated by | TasPorts |
| Size | 2,000 hectares (20 km2) |
| No. of berths | 12[2] |
| Draft depth | 11.2 m.[2] |
| Rail lines | Bell Bay |
| Rail gauge | 1067mm |
| Street access | East Tamar Highway |
| Truck types | B-Double |
| Statistics | |
| Annual cargo tonnage | 3.6 million tonnes (2021) |
| Annual TEU | 20,299 (2021) |
| Website www.tasports.com.au | |
Bell Bay Post Office opened on 18 September 1951 and closed in 1973.[4]
Bell Bay has an aluminium smelter operated by Rio Tinto (previously by Comalco),[5] and the Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company manganese alloy smelter operated by South32 (previously by BHP).[6] The Bell Bay Power Station was decommissioned in 2009, replaced by the Tamar Valley Power Station built next door.
Bell Bay was connected to the Tasmanian Government Railways network in May 1974, when the 35 kilometre Bell Bay railway line opened, branching off the North East line at Nelson Creek to the north of Launceston.[7][8][9] Primarily built to carry logs for export, today it carries intermodal containers to and from the port.[10]
The first Bell Bay wharf was opened in 1927.[11] Today it has seven berths including Long Reach South:[12]
| Berth | Name | Cargo |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Berth | Rio Tinto Berth | Alumina/Liquid Pitch |
| No. 2 Berth | Interstate Roll-on/roll-off Berth | General Cargo |
| No. 3 Berth | TEMCO Berth | Manganese Ore/Related Cargo |
| No. 4 Berth | Tankers & Chemicals Berth | Oil Products/Petroleum |
| No. 5 & 6 Berth | Multi-Purpose Berth | Containers/Petcoke/Logs/Manganese |
| No. 6 Berth | Multi-Purpose Berth | Petcoke/Containers/Woodchips/Aluminium |
| Long Reach South | Forico South | Woodchips |
- "UNLOCODE (AU) - AUSTRALIA". www.unece.org. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- "Port of Bell Bay, Australia". www.findaport.com. Shipping Guides Ltd. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- "Bell Bay Aluminium". Rio Tinto Aluminium. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- Bell Bay News Tasmanian Rail News issue 87 February 1973 page 2
- Bell Bay Railway starts up business Railway Transportation August 1974 pages 20-24, 32
- Bell Bay Wharf Launceston Examiner 16 June 1927 page 4
- "Bell Bay" (PDF). TasPorts. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
