# Bell Bay Power Station

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Former power station in Tasmania

Bell Bay Power Station Country Australia Location Bell Bay, Tasmania Coordinates 41°8′31″S 146°54′9″E / 41.14194°S 146.90250°E / -41.14194; 146.90250 Status Peak demand Commission date 1971 Decommission date 2009 Owner Hydro Tasmania Thermal power station Primary fuel Natural gas Turbine technology 2 steam turbines Power generation Units operational 0 Nameplate capacity 345 megawatts (463,000 hp) [edit on Wikidata]

The **Bell Bay Power Station** was a [power station](/source/Power_station) located in [Bell Bay](/source/Bell_Bay%2C_Tasmania), on the [Tamar River, Tasmania](/source/Tamar_River%2C_Tasmania), Australia, adjacent to the [Tamar Valley Power Station](/source/Tamar_Valley_Power_Station), with which it was often confused. It was commissioned between 1971 and 1974 as an oil fired [thermal power station](/source/Thermal_power_station), and was converted to [natural gas](/source/Natural_gas) in 2003,[1] after the commissioning of the [Tasmanian Gas Pipeline](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tasmanian_Gas_Pipeline&action=edit&redlink=1), a submarine [gas pipeline](/source/Gas_pipeline) which transports natural gas from [Longford, Victoria](/source/Longford%2C_Victoria), under [Bass Strait](/source/Bass_Strait), to Bell Bay, Tasmania.[2] As the power station's primary role was to provide system security in the event of drought for Tasmania's predominantly hydro-electric based generation system it only was rarely called on to operate, resulting in intervals of five to eight years between periods of significant use. After the commissioning of [Basslink](/source/Basslink) in 2006, the power station was decommissioned in 2009.

At the time of decommissioning, it had two 120 megawatts (160,000 hp) [gas](/source/Natural_gas) fired [steam turbines](/source/Steam_turbines) and three 35 megawatts (47,000 hp) [gas turbines](/source/Gas_turbines), giving a total capacity of 345 megawatts (463,000 hp) of [electricity](/source/Electricity). After the Bell Bay Power Station was decommissioned, the three smaller units became part of the Tamar Valley Power Station.

## History

In response to a prolonged dry period in Tasmania in 1967 and 1968, the [Hydro Electric Commission](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) sought to diversify Tasmania's electricity supply away from [hydroelectricity](/source/Hydroelectricity).[1][3] This resulted in the first unit of the Bell Bay Power Station being commissioned in 1971: a single 120 megawatts (160,000 hp) oil-fired [Babcock & Wilcox](/source/Babcock_%26_Wilcox), single drum, reheat boiler, supplying steam to a [CA Parsons & Company](/source/CA_Parsons_%26_Company) steam turbine with hydrogen cooled generator (unit one).[4] In 1974, a second near identical unit followed (unit two). Cooling water was via a once-through cooling system, drawing water directly from the [Tamar River](/source/Tamar_River%2C_Tasmania). Three 15,000 tonnes (17,000 tons) capacity fuel oil tanks supplied the 600 tonnes (660 tons) of fuel oil per day required to run each of the steam sets. Fuel oil was delivered by tank ship and discharged across a dedicated oil jetty at the site. The 110-metre (360 ft) tall stack is a distinctive feature in the area.

The [Tasmanian Gas Pipeline](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tasmanian_Gas_Pipeline&action=edit&redlink=1), a submarine [gas pipeline](/source/Gas_pipeline) which transports natural gas from the [Esso](/source/ExxonMobil_Australia) [natural gas plant](/source/Natural_gas_processing) at [Longford, Victoria](/source/Longford%2C_Victoria), under [Bass Strait](/source/Bass_Strait), to Bell Bay, Tasmania, was commissioned in 2002.[2] In 2003, unit one was converted from fuel oil to [natural gas](/source/Natural_gas),[1] and Unit two was converted in 2004.

In 2006, three [Pratt & Whitney](/source/Pratt_%26_Whitney) FT8 Twin Pac [open cycle gas turbine](/source/Open_cycle_gas_turbines) units were acquired from an existing facility in the US. These open cycle units were installed at a site adjacent to the original Bell Bay Power Station.

The [Basslink](/source/Basslink) electricity interconnector, which linked the electricity grids of mainland Australia and Tasmania from April 2006, secured Tasmania from reliance on hydro-electric based generation in the event of drought.

In September 2025, the power station's control room was demolished with explosives, followed by the boiler house the following month. The smokestack was left standing awaiting demolition at a later date. On 12 January 2026 the smokestack would be demolished using 41 kilograms worth of explosives.[5]

## Ownership

Bell Bay Power Station was owned by [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania).

In March 2007, [Alinta](/source/Alinta) agreed to buy the peaking plant site from Hydro Tasmania for $75 million, which included gas pipeline capacity agreements. This would complement its proposed 200 MW combined cycle Tamar Valley Power Station, which was due for completion in early 2009, and which was to be located somewhere in the Bell Bay precinct.[6]

[Aurora Energy](/source/Aurora_Energy_(Tasmania)) acquired the ex Alinta Energy combined cycle power station project and the peaking plant from [Babcock & Brown](/source/Babcock_%26_Brown) Power in September 2008.[7] The Tasmanian Government included a possible transfer of the existing Bell Bay Power Station to Aurora Energy as part of the acquisition. The transfer of the existing two thermal units did not proceed. Hydro Tasmania remained the owner and the station is currently available for sale whole or as parts.[8]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hydro_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hydro_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-hydro_1-2) ["Gas generation"](http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/gas-generation). *[Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania)*. Retrieved 11 March 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tgp_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tgp_2-1) [Home](https://www.tasmaniangaspipeline.com.au/) Tasmanian Gas Pipeline

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Ministerial Statement on Energy Security"](http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/releases/ministerial_statement_on_energy_security). *www.premier.tas.gov.au*. Retrieved 11 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [The Hydro after 100 Years](https://web.archive.org/web/20220821083524/https://engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/eha-magazine-v1-6.pdf) *[EHA Magazine](/source/EHA_Magazine)* March 2015 page 19

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Explosives used to demolish Bell Bay power station smokestack"](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-12/bell-bay-power-station-tower-explosives-demolition/106221046). [ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia)). 12 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Alinta buys Tasmanian plant"](http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/alinta-buys-tasmanian-plant/2007/03/23/1174597886010.html). [Sydney Morning Herald](/source/Sydney_Morning_Herald). 24 March 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Tas network not in Powerco sell off](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-11-04/tas-network-not-in-powerco-sell-off/192950) *[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia))* 4 November 2008

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Power plant for sale - whole or part of plant"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140222160802/http://www.hydro.com.au/about-us/bell-bay-sale). Hydro Tasmania. Archived from [the original](http://www.hydro.com.au/about-us/bell-bay-sale) on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.

## External links

- [Bell Bay](https://web.archive.org/web/20060815020329/http://www.hydro.com.au/home/Energy/Tasmanian+Hydro+Electric+Schemes/Catchment+Areas/Bell+Bay+Power+Station/) [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania)

v t e Energy in Tasmania Hydroelectric Derwent Butlers Gorge Catagunya Cluny Lake Echo Liapootah Meadowbank Nieterana Repulse Tarraleah Tungatinah Wayatinah Gordon-Pedder Gordon Franklin Dam controversy Mersey-Forth Cethana Devils Gate Fisher Lemonthyme Paloona Parangana Rowallan Wilmot West Coast King John Butters Lake Margaret Pieman / Anthony Bastyan Mackintosh Reece Tribute Yingina / Great Lake Poatina Tods Corner Trevallyn Others Huntsman Decommissioned Duck Reach Moorina Waddamana Waddamana B Wind farms Granville Harbour Musselroe Woolnorth Cattle Hill Huxley Hill (King Island) Natural gas Tamar Valley Decommissioned Bell Bay Organisations Alinta Aurora Powerco Hydro Tasmania Roaring 40s TasNetworks Former Transend Networks Interconnectors Basslink Planned Marinus Link Other Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator 2016 Tasmanian energy crisis List of power stations in Tasmania

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bell Bay Power Station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Bay_Power_Station) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Bay_Power_Station?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.