Bell Bay, Tasmania

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
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Location
LocationBell Bay, Tasmania
Coordinates41.130444°S 146.859199°E / -41.130444; 146.859199
UN/LOCODEAUBEL[1]
Details
Operated byTasPorts
Size2,000 hectares (20 km2)
No. of berths12[2]
Draft depth11.2 m.[2]
Rail linesBell Bay
Rail gauge1067mm
Street accessEast Tamar Highway
Truck typesB-Double
Statistics
Annual cargo tonnage3.6 million tonnes (2021)
Annual TEU20,299 (2021)
Website
www.tasports.com.au

History

Bell Bay Post Office opened on 18 September 1951 and closed in 1973.[4]

Industry

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.

Transport

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]

Berths

The first Bell Bay wharf was opened in 1927.[11] Today it has seven berths including Long Reach South:[12]

Bell Bay berths
BerthNameCargo
No. 1 BerthRio Tinto BerthAlumina/Liquid Pitch
No. 2 BerthInterstate Roll-on/roll-off BerthGeneral Cargo
No. 3 BerthTEMCO BerthManganese Ore/Related Cargo
No. 4 BerthTankers & Chemicals BerthOil Products/Petroleum
No. 5 & 6 BerthMulti-Purpose BerthContainers/Petcoke/Logs/Manganese
No. 6 BerthMulti-Purpose BerthPetcoke/Containers/Woodchips/Aluminium
Long Reach SouthForico SouthWoodchips

References
  1. "UNLOCODE (AU) - AUSTRALIA". www.unece.org. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  2. "Port of Bell Bay, Australia". www.findaport.com. Shipping Guides Ltd. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  3. Annual report for year ended 30 June 2021 TasPorts
  4. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  5. "Bell Bay Aluminium". Rio Tinto Aluminium. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  6. "TEMCO". South32. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  7. Bell Bay News Tasmanian Rail News issue 87 February 1973 page 2
  8. Bell Bay's First Train T'Rails June 1974 page 1
  9. Bell Bay Railway starts up business Railway Transportation August 1974 pages 20-24, 32
  10. Activity Map TasRail
  11. Bell Bay Wharf Launceston Examiner 16 June 1927 page 4
  12. "Bell Bay" (PDF). TasPorts. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.

41°07′00″S 146°52′00″E


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