10′, 20′ and 40′ ISO container water-treatment plants hardened for off-grid, hurricane, arctic, desert and salt-air environments. Standardised footprints fit the global shipping logistics chain so the plant lands at any port, rail head or container handling site in the world. Standalone power, satellite SCADA, on-board spares and a swap-on-failure spares philosophy.
The full family of packaged, containerised, skid-mounted and research stations.
When the duty exceeds the ISO container envelope.
When the smallest leg of transport is a helicopter or 4×4 trailer.
Containerised systems for normal industrial sites without remote hardening.
The Global Logistics Sweet Spot
The ISO shipping container is the most standardised piece of infrastructure on earth. Every container ship, port crane, rail wagon, road truck and warehouse forklift in the world handles 10′, 20′ or 40′ envelopes. Building a water-treatment plant inside that envelope means the logistics chain is solved before you start. Where the engineering work comes in is the hardening — turning a thin-walled cargo shell into a year-round process plant that survives the environment of the destination.
Standard containerised plant for normal industrial sites is covered on our containerised systems hub. This page is about the variant engineered for remote service: external climates from arctic to desert, no grid, no operator and no local supply chain.
10′, 20′ and 40′ ISO Envelopes
| Container | External L × W × H | Internal Volume | Gross Weight | Typical Plant Duty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10′ Standard | 2.99 × 2.44 × 2.59 m | ~ 16 m³ | 10.2 t | 2–10 m³/day potable; compact dosing skid |
| 20′ Standard | 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m | ~ 33 m³ | 24 t | 10–60 m³/day potable; full treatment train |
| 20′ High-Cube | 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.90 m | ~ 38 m³ | 24 t | As above with tall internals (DAF, lamella) |
| 40′ Standard | 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m | ~ 67 m³ | 30.5 t | 50–200 m³/day; full plant + chemical store |
| 40′ High-Cube | 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m | ~ 76 m³ | 30.5 t | As above with mezzanine for controls and spares |
Multi-container builds are routine — e.g. a 40′ treatment container linked to a 20′ chemical-store container and a 10′ control container. Container plant rooms are linked by a covered walkway or weather-tight transit duct.
Selected to Suit the Destination Environment
External polyurethane insulation to U-value 0.18 W/m²·K, internal heat tracing on all process lines, ambient envelope to −55 °C. Low-temperature steel grade on lifting castings.
Reflective white roof coating, internal HVAC with 55 °C ambient capability, dust-filtered intake, sand-resistant pump seals.
External glass-flake epoxy, internal 316L stainless trim, sacrificial anodes on hull penetrations, salt-tolerant electrical enclosures (IP66).
Tie-down lugs to ISO 1496 +50 %, roof-mounted equipment rated to 250 km/h gust, blast-rated chemical store, debris-impact rating for windows.
Zone 1 or Zone 2 build with Ex-d electrics, intrinsically-safe instrumentation, internal gas detection, inert-gas blanket on chemical store headspace.
Internal equipment anchorage to seismic-zone qualifying loads; flexible-bellows on process penetrations; anchor-down to foundation.
Roof-mounted air terminal, internal bonding network, surge-protection on every incoming and outgoing electrical line.
Rodent-proof penetrations, ant-barrier on cable trays, screened ventilation intakes; bear-proof options for high-latitude bear country.
Reinforced doors with multi-point locking, internal CCTV, tamper-evident seals on chemical store, intrusion alarms to SCADA.
Pre-Engineered Containerised Configurations
Coag-floc + lamella + multimedia filter + GAC + UV + chlorination. 20′ high-cube up to 50 m³/day.
Iron/manganese removal + softening + GAC + UV. 20′ standard up to 80 m³/day.
Pre-filter + cartridge + RO + remineralisation + UV. 40′ high-cube up to 100 m³/day permeate.
Screening + MBBR + secondary clarifier + UV. 40′ standard up to 50 m³/day.
Coag-floc + DAF + sand filter + ion exchange polishing. Multi-container build, 50–200 m³/day.
Membrane bioreactor + RO + UV. 40′ MBR variant up to 80 m³/day.
Off-Grid Configurations
Containerised diesel generator (Stage V emissions) with auto-changeover and 7–30 day fuel autonomy. Sound-attenuated to 65 dB at 7 m.
Roof-mounted PV array (5–25 kWp) with lithium-iron-phosphate battery bank and diesel back-up. Targets > 70 % renewable fraction in suitable latitudes.
Hydrogen fuel cell for ultra-quiet operation (eco-tourism, wildlife sites). Hydrogen supplied as bottled cylinders.
Iridium Certus or VSAT for SCADA telemetry. Always-on link with daily bandwidth allowance sized for the data load.
Where cellular coverage exists, 4G/5G modem with diverse-carrier SIMs for redundancy.
On-board edge node for store-and-forward when comms are intermittent. Local HMI for site visits.
Five-Stage Delivery, 10–18 Weeks
Duty, environment, transport chain and power source.
Container choice, hardening package, treatment train, fixed scope.
Internal fit-out, witnessed factory acceptance test, sea-fastening for shipment.
Standard container shipping. Crane onto foundation. Bolted to ground.
Hot commissioning, SCADA tie-in, operator handover, 30-day support.
All five product families plus the engineering choices that span the catalogue.
Hub PageFor duties beyond the ISO envelope.
Read MoreFor helicopter and light-vehicle access.
Read MoreStandard-duty containerised systems for industrial sites.
Read MoreMBBR / SBR variant for sewage and industrial wastewater.
Read MoreMembrane bioreactor variant for water reuse.
Read MoreCharacterise the source water before committing.
Read MoreContainer fabrication, fit-out and FAT.
Read MoreTell us the duty, the environment and the transport chain — we will scope and estimate within two weeks.
Deploying containerised plants in 50 °C ambient, dust-storm zones or solar-powered off-grid sites changes almost every engineering assumption. Our hot-climate technical library covers thermal balance, solar shading, dust ingress, power systems, brackish water chemistry and the full deployment checklist:
Overview of the six engineering domains, design ambient conditions, customer profiles.
ViewHVAC sizing, insulation U-values, derating curves, pump cavitation.
ViewCool-roof coatings, cantilever shade, UV-stable materials.
ViewIP ratings, three-stage HVAC filtration, silica-gel breathers, silicone seals.
ViewPV derating, generator derating, battery cooling, hybrid sizing, fuel logistics.
ViewBrackish bore TDS, scaling species, hot-feed RO, evaporation losses.
ViewSix-step project plan from site assessment to operational hand-over.
ViewOur expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.