Three-Phase High Cube Integral Reefer
The standard build: 12,192 × 2,438 × 2,896 mm on a 32 A three-phase supply.
40ft Reefer Container: High Cube Refrigerated Unit
- Size
- 40ft high cube
- Set point
- −30°C to +30°C
- Capacity
- 67.3 m³, 22 pallets
- Supply
- 32 A 3-phase
Request a Quote for a 40ft Reefer Container
12,192 × 2,438 × 2,896 mm ISO 1AAA body, about 11,580 × 2,290 × 2,400 mm inside, 67.3 m³, approx. 22 pallets. Stainless lining, aluminium T-section floor, polyurethane foam panels, Corten ISO frame. 3-phase 380–460 V 32 A supply, 240 V single-phase to order.
Body to ISO 1496-2:2018 on the ISO 668 1AAA envelope with ISO 1161 corner fittings, CSC plated for international transport. Machinery under OEM type approval and ISO 20854:2019. Site outlet to AS/NZS 3000, AS/NZS 5149.3 for stationary cold storage, ARCtick-licensed commissioning in Australia.
Food processors, exporters staging at port, mine-camp central cold stores and distribution overflow. Arrives by side-loader or crane truck onto a level hardstand and runs from one 32 A outlet or a genset.
Overview
The standard 40ft reefer form, built to order
SCS Global builds the 40ft high cube reefer factory-direct in Yixing, Jiangsu, as part of our reefer range from 10ft to 40ft with about 67 m³ of refrigerated storage on one 32 A outlet, plated as an ISO thermal container and shipped worldwide. Buy a 40ft reefer anywhere and you get the high cube by default. SCS builds the standard-height and pallet-wide bodies to order on the same unit class, the body foamed, lined and framed at our factory and the OEM unit fitted before dispatch.
Specifications
40ft High Cube Reefer Specifications and Dimensions
The 40ft reefer container is the high-cube form of the reefer range: a 12,192 × 2,438 × 2,896 mm ISO 1AAA body holding about 67 m³ and 22 pallets at −30°C to +30°C. That is more than double the 28.3 m³ of the standard 20ft reefer, on about 26.3 m² of floor against 12.3 m². SCS builds every 40ft high cube reefer container to order, the whole plated under ISO 668 at the 1AAA rating of 36,000 kg. Both sizes carry the same integral unit class, 10.0 kW at +2°C and 5.9 kW at −18°C on a reference unit, so the 40ft runs on roughly 40% of a 20ft's cooling capacity per cubic metre. The 40ft reefer container dimensions below lead with the high cube body. Specifications conform to industry standards. Confirm to project requirements.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Container type | 40ft high cube integral reefer, ISO 668 1AAA |
| Build standards | ISO 1496-2:2018 thermal container, ISO 668 1AAA envelope, ISO 1161 corner fittings, CSC plated for international transport |
| External dimensions (L × W × H) | 12,192 × 2,438 × 2,896 mm (40' × 8' × 9'6") |
| Internal dimensions (reference build) | 11,580 × 2,290 × 2,400 mm. Range by build 11,500 to 11,580 × 2,270 to 2,290 × 2,400 mm |
| Door opening (W × H) | 2,290 × 2,570 mm |
| Internal cubic capacity | 67.3 m³ |
| Floor area | approx. 26.3 m² |
| Pallet capacity | approx. 22 standard pallets, floor-loaded |
| Tare weight (category reference) | 4,360 to 4,650 kg. SCS plated values on request |
| Payload (category reference) | approx. 29,520 kg against a 34,000 kg plated gross. SCS plated values on request |
| Maximum gross weight | ISO 668 rating 36,000 kg (30,480 kg pre-amendment, still printed in most fleet tables). SCS plated value on request |
| Set-point range | −30°C to +30°C (standard integral unit) |
| Power supply | 3-phase 380 to 460 V, 32 A, 50/60 Hz, 5-pin plug. 240 V single-phase unit to order |
| Reference unit cooling capacity | 10.0 kW at +2°C and 5.9 kW at −18°C (38°C ambient), 13.5 kW maximum draw |
| Running consumption (category range) | approx. 140 to 170 kWh per day at −18°C, lower at chilled set points |
| Fresh-air exchange | Adjustable 0 to 250 m³/h |
| Humidity control | 60 to 85% RH on units so equipped |
| Floor | Aluminium T-section floor |
| Interior lining | Stainless steel |
| Insulation | Polyurethane foam sandwich panels |
| Frame | Corten steel ISO frame with ISO 1161 corner castings |
| Doors | Insulated double rear doors. Internal emergency release and alarm on storage builds |
| Lighting and air loss | 220 V internal LED, strip curtains at the door |
Cold Storage
High-Capacity Cold Storage
A 40ft high cube reefer suits bulk chilled and frozen storage where a 20ft runs out: food processors, exporters staging at port, mine-camp central cold stores and distribution overflow. Meat and seafood plants run it as seasonal surge capacity, packers stage export loads beside the shed, and ports hold peak overflow. On a remote site one unit becomes the central cold store for the camp kitchens, the anchor of cold storage for mining camps. The set point and the logging come from the operator's duty, not the container. FSANZ Standard 3.2.2 sets the 5°C ceiling for potentially hazardous food, and the controller's supply-air and return-air log is the operator's evidence.
Construction
40ft Refrigerated Container Features
Every 40ft refrigerated container runs a foam-cored, stainless-lined body on an aluminium T-section floor and a Corten ISO frame, with an OEM refrigeration unit mounted in the front-end frame. The floor channels supply air under and through the load. The unit is a type-approved integral machine in the Daikin, Carrier, Thermo King or Star Cool class, holding −30°C to +30°C and logging supply and return air. A high cube refrigerated container carries the same unit class as a 20ft, 10.0 kW at +2°C and 5.9 kW at −18°C on a reference unit. Over 67 m³ the body's heat leakage carries more of the load. The heat-leakage and cooling-capacity tests in ISO 1496-2 are the 40ft's critical QA gate, and thermal bridging matters more on the long body.
Delivery
Delivery and Installation
A 40ft high cube arrives by side-loader or crane truck, sits on a level hardstand, and runs from one 32 A 3-phase outlet or a genset. It's too long for a tilt tray: a side-loader sets it down beside the truck, and a crane truck handles tight pads and piers. At 2,438 mm wide it travels inside the NHVR 2.5 m general-access width, and the 2,896 mm body tops the 4.3 m general-access height on a standard skel, so the carrier books a drop-deck. On site it needs one 32 A 5-pin three-phase outlet to AS/NZS 3000, or 240 V for a single-phase build, and an ARCtick-licensed technician commissions it in Australia. A clip-on genset covers transit and off-grid running, and a pre-trip inspection (PTI) plus the ISO 1496-2 body tests are the category's pre-dispatch checks.
Compliance
Compliance and Standards
SCS certifies the container body it builds. The refrigeration OEM, the site electrician and the food business each certify their own layer. Body: SCS builds the 40ft to ISO 1496-2:2018 on the ISO 668 1AAA envelope with ISO 1161 corner fittings, plated under the International Convention for Safe Containers. Machinery: type approval sits with the OEM unit, and flammable-refrigerant units follow ISO 20854:2019. Site: the installer wires the 32 A outlet to AS/NZS 3000, AS/NZS 5149.3 governs stationary cold storage, and in Australia an ARCtick-licensed technician commissions the unit. Operator: the food business runs FSANZ Standard 3.2.2 controls and a HACCP plan around the unit. Neither certifies the container. ATP is an export benchmark, not an Australian requirement: its ATP Guide fixes minimum airflow at 3,000 m³/h above 60 m³, the 40ft high cube's band.
ISO 
Bureau Veritas 
DNV 
Lloyd's Register 
BIC 
ABS Standards & References
Standards we build to
Every 40ft reefer we manufacture is engineered against the standards below. Click through to the source authority for the full text and current revision.
ISO 668 Series 1 freight containers: the 1AAA high cube envelope, the 1AA standard-height body and the 36,000 kg gross rating. International Organization for Standardization
ISO 1496-2:2018 Thermal containers: specification and testing, including the heat-leakage and cooling-capacity tests that gate the 40ft body. International Organization for Standardization
ISO 1161 Corner fittings for Series 1 freight containers: the castings on the Corten ISO frame. International Organization for Standardization
ISO 20854:2019 Thermal containers: safety standard for refrigerating systems using flammable refrigerants. International Organization for Standardization
CSC 1972 International Convention for Safe Containers: the plate under which the body ships as standard container freight. International Maritime Organization
AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules: the 32 A 5-pin three-phase reefer outlet the site installer wires. Standards Australia
AS/NZS 5149.3 Refrigerating systems and heat pumps, Part 3 installation site: governs the unit as stationary cold storage. Standards New Zealand
ARCtick Refrigerant Handling Licence: the technician who commissions the unit in Australia holds one. Australian Refrigeration Council
ATP Guide Guide to the UNECE ATP agreement: the export insulation and airflow benchmark, 3,000 m³/h minimum above 60 m³. Not an Australian requirement. Cambridge Refrigeration Technology (RVTC)
NHVR width General-access width limit of 2.5 m: the 2,438 mm body travels inside it. National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
NHVR height General-access height limit of 4.3 m: the 2,896 mm high cube on a standard skel tops it, so the carrier books a drop-deck. National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
FSANZ Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices: the 5°C ceiling for potentially hazardous food, held by the operating food business. Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Configuration Options
High Cube Reefer Container Options
Buy a 40ft reefer anywhere and you get a high cube reefer container by default. ISO 668 designates the 2,896 mm high cube as 1AAA and the 2,591 mm standard-height body as 1AA, a legacy build for height-limited yards and vessel slots. SCS builds each 40 high cube reefer container variant below to the project brief, plus the 40ft blast freezer and joined modular cold storage. Compare a reefer with a built cold room before sizing either.
Single-Phase 240 V Unit
For sites without three-phase supply, built to order on the same body.
Pallet-Wide 2,500 mm Body
12,192 × 2,500 × 2,896 mm external, approx. 11,594 × 2,375 × 2,591 mm internal, around 71.3 m³, two Australian pallets abreast.
Standard-Height 40ft (ISO 1AA)
12,192 × 2,438 × 2,591 mm external, approx. 11,560 × 2,280 × 2,250 mm internal, approx. 59.3 m³, for height-limited yards and vessel slots.
Super-Freezer to −75°C
Deep-freeze set points for seafood and pharma cargo.
Cold-Room Fit-Out
Personnel door, internal release and siren, shelving and load bars for walk-in site cold storage.
Buyer-Specified OEM Refrigeration Unit
Daikin, Carrier, Thermo King or Star Cool class integral unit fitted at the factory.
Applications
Applications and Industries
A 40ft high cube reefer suits bulk chilled and frozen storage where a 20ft runs out: food processors, exporters staging at port, mine-camp central cold stores and distribution overflow. One unit on a remote site becomes the central cold store for the camp kitchens.
Mining & Resources
Cold storage for mining camps: one 40ft unit becomes the central cold store for the camp kitchens, on site supply or a genset.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Central catering cold stores for LNG and remote energy camps, delivered to the laydown as standard container freight.
Construction & Infrastructure
Bulk project cold storage and distribution overflow that relocates by side-loader or crane truck between works.
Military & Defence
Base and forward-location cold chain for rations and medical stock, held at set point on one 32 A outlet or a genset.
Send the set point, variant and destination. An SCS engineer scopes the build factory-direct from Yixing.
Request a Quote for a 40ft Reefer Container
Engineering Resources
Download technical documentation
Spec sheet, dimensioned drawing and compliance summary for engineering review, available on request with your quote. Every engineering document published here has a crawlable HTML equivalent elsewhere on the page.
PDFOn request
40ft HC Reefer Spec Sheet
Mirrors the HTML spec matrix with the standard-height and pallet-wide rows.
DownloadPDFOn request
40ft HC Reefer Dimensioned Drawing
Dimensioned side elevation and plan.
DownloadPDFOn request
Reefer Compliance Summary
ISO 1496-2 / ISO 668 / ISO 1161 / CSC body identity plus site-installation notes (AS/NZS 3000, AS/NZS 5149.3, ARCtick).
DownloadRelated Products
Explore the reefer range
Sister pages in the SCS refrigerated container range, built on the same Yixing line against the same four-layer compliance posture.
20ft Reefer Container
The core size: 28.3 m³ and 10 pallets on a 6,058 mm ISO footprint, same integral unit class, one 32 A outlet.
the standard 20ft reefer Reefer Container Specifications
Dimensions, set-point ranges, power supply and consumption for every size, 10ft to 40ft high cube.
the specifications guide Reefer Container vs Cold Room
When a plated reefer beats a built cold room, and when it doesn't. Blast freezer and joined modular cold storage options.
compare a reefer with a built cold roomFAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Four questions procurement, operations and engineering teams ask most often about the 40ft high cube reefer.
What are the internal dimensions of a 40ft high cube reefer?
A reference build measures 11,580 × 2,290 × 2,400 mm internally inside a 12,192 × 2,438 × 2,896 mm ISO 1AAA envelope, with a 2,290 × 2,570 mm door opening: about 67 m³ and 26 m² of floor. The front-bulkhead unit shortens internal length about 450 mm against a dry box.
How many pallets fit in a 40ft reefer?
Around 22 standard pallets floor-loaded in the 2,438 mm body. A 2,500 mm pallet-wide body fits two Australian 1,165 mm pallets across, and F-track load bars allow a second tier on cargo that can carry it. SCS builds both the pallet-wide body and the load-bar tracks to order.
How much power does a 40ft reefer use?
Site supply is three-phase 380 to 460 V, 32 A, 5-pin. A reference unit draws up to 13.5 kW, and a 40ft held at −18°C uses roughly 140 to 170 kWh a day, lower when chilled and 25 to 40% higher in hot climates. The specifications guide covers power.
Is one 40ft reefer better than two 20ft reefers?
One 40ft gives about 67 m³ against roughly 57 m³ across two 20ft units, on one outlet, one unit to service and less tare per cubic metre. Two 20ft units give independent set points, redundancy and placement flexibility. Step down to the 20ft when the load splits.