Electrical Heating for ISO & Swap Body Tanks
Expertise in Electrical Heated Tank Containers
Tankcon has many years of experience in supplying electrical heated tank containers in various specifications, including Standard ISO electrical tank containers and swap body tanks fitted with an electrical water glycol heating unit. These units are provided by well-known suppliers such as Holvrieka, Klinge, and Loebbe. The water glycol mixture is pumped through the steam channels of the tank container to maintain consistent heating.
Standard ISO Electrical Heated Tanks
Our Standard ISO electrical heated tanks are equipped with a full electric heating system supplied by Eltherm. These tank containers are also fitted with steam channels as a backup system, ensuring reliable heating under all conditions. It’s essential to consider heating the discharge valve for all heating solutions, including electrical and steam-based systems.
Flexibility for Remote Operations
In cases where no power connection is available, the electrical tank container can be fitted with a generator set, offering flexibility for remote operations. Although this may seem straightforward, there are important technical details to discuss with our staff to ensure the right configuration for your needs.
Maintaining Product Temperature During Transit
Are you wondering whether maintaining a product at a specific temperature during transit is necessary, or if it’s sufficient to only heat the product before loading? These questions are crucial for determining the correct electrical heating solution. It’s important to know the required product temperature, specific heat of the product, melting point, and the expected ambient temperature during transit.
Tailored Recommendations for Electrical Heating Units
With this information, we can recommend the most effective electrical heating unit, the necessary insulation for the tank, and the appropriate medium—whether water glycol or pure glycol. For applications requiring higher temperatures, we can also supply high-temperature electrical heated tanks equipped with thermal oil heating units.

Water Glycol Heated Tank Containers
Heating Principle
The principle of this heating option is quite simple.The tank container will have a heat unit fitted that heats the water-glycol mixture, which pumps through the channels placed under the tank barrel.
Steam Channels Configuration
Most tank containers have steam channels in various layouts and numbers. When building a new tank with a water-glycol heat unit, you can arrange the layout of the steam channels in an ideal configuration and, if needed, add channels to the ends of the vessel. In most cases, you fit a water-glycol unit on a standard tank container that has 8, 10, or 12 steam channels. It is advisable to include the manufacturer of the heat unit and the builder of the tank container in the project to discuss the best flow direction of the heated glycol.
Control Box and Electrical Cable Placement
The position of the control box and electrical cable is important; you should place the control box at the rear of the tank container. However, there are situations where a side position is preferable for better access.
In the event that deep-sea traffic is involved, we recommend that you consult the shipping line to confirm that you can mount the reefer unit on one of the sides and place the control box on the rear of the container. Our friendly staff will be happy to assist.
Expansion Tank: Each water-glycol system includes an expansion tank located on top of the tank. You can choose between stainless steel and plastic options.
Venting: It’s advisable to add a vent to the two highest steam channels, as this will make filling the system much easier. However, this comes with costs, as you need to remove the cladding and insulation to install the vent lines.
Full Electric Heating
The water-glycol heating system offers flexibility because you can remove it from the container when the unit reaches the end of its technical life, allowing you to use the tank as a standard tank container. You can also install the unit on another tank container. A permanent solution and higher investment is the 100% electric solution, where you attach electrical cables to the tank barrel before applying the insulation. This makes it more expensive for existing tank containers, as you must remove the cladding and insulation during installation. Companies mainly use it on newly built tank containers
This system has important pro’s to consider:
- There are no moving parts, like pumps, which leads to lower maintenance costs and fewer failures.
- You can attach the electrical cables around the entire barrel, including the front and rear.
- They design the system with multiple power groups. If there’s a problem with one cable, you can switch off one power group, while the remaining groups will still be powerful enough to maintain the temperature of the loaded product.
- The tank container’s steam channels remain available and can serve as a backup. If the electrical system fails, you can still heat the product before discharge.
An alternative to the cable heating are the silicon mats supplied by Dirac Industries, these mats can be made for a dedicated tank container, see sample, picture 1:
We work with first class suppliers of the heating like Loebbe and Klinge plus world class manufactures of tank container. With the combined expertise we can offer the best possible solution for your product. These pictures are electrical heat systems supplied by Eltherm.
Explore our additional services:
Do you have a question or need technical support?