Reference
20' Refrigerated
Integral reefer unit. Full internal dimensions, door opening, capacity and weights below.
- Inside length
- 5.724 m
- Inside width
- 2.286 m
- Inside height
- 2.014 m
- Door width
- 2.286 m
- Door height
- 2.067 m
- Capacity
- 26 m³
- Tare weight
- 2550 kg
- Max cargo weight
- 21450 kg
About the 20' Refrigerated
A twenty-foot unit with insulated walls and its own refrigeration machinery, holding a chosen temperature for chilled or frozen cargo throughout the journey.
Both the insulation and the machinery cost space, so the internal envelope and capacity fall well short of a dry twenty-foot box. That is the trade for temperature control, and it should be allowed for when working out how much cargo will actually fit.
The unit needs power continuously — on the vessel, during terminal dwell, and on the road or rail leg. The setpoint should be confirmed against the specific commodity before loading, since chilled and frozen cargo tolerate very different ranges.
What it carries
How it is built
- Insulated panels — typically polyurethane foam injected between steel skins — carried on a standard steel container frame.
- An integral refrigeration unit built into one end, running on three-phase power drawn from the vessel, the terminal, a road genset or a rail supply.
- A T-bar or deep-grooved floor, so chilled air delivered under the cargo can travel the length of the box and return through the top.
- A lined interior, usually stainless steel or aluminium, that can be washed down between cargoes.
- A control panel carrying the setpoint, supply and return air temperatures, and on modern units a data logger.
- External dimensions meet ISO standards, so the unit drops into a ship's cell guides exactly like a dry box.
- The floor is gratinged so chilled air can travel underneath the cargo, and the side walls are corrugated so it keeps moving there too. Stowing on pallets opens a further air channel.
- At least 12 cm of clear space must be left above the cargo for the air to return, and the maximum load height is marked on the side walls.
- As well as holding temperature, the unit can exchange fresh air to vent the carbon dioxide and ethylene that fruit gives off.
- Both supply and return air temperatures are measured, and the display sits on the outside of the unit so operation can be checked without opening the doors.
- Where a ship's power capacity is short, diesel power packs built to 20 ft ISO dimensions can feed the units; on road and rail a generator set does the same job.
- Chilled meat is sometimes carried hanging, on hook rails fitted to the ceiling.
Why it is used
- Holds a chosen setpoint anywhere from deep frozen to chilled, independent of outside conditions.
- Handles and stacks exactly like a dry box, so no special terminal equipment is needed beyond a power point.
- Onboard logging means the temperature history travels with the cargo and can be produced on delivery.
- Some units offer controlled or modified atmosphere, extending the shelf life of fresh produce on long voyages.
What to check before booking
- Insulation and machinery both consume space, so internal dimensions and capacity fall well short of a dry container.
- Power must be continuous through the whole journey, including terminal dwell and the inland legs.
- Cargo has to be stowed so air can circulate; packing tight to the walls or above the red load line will defeat the unit.
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