How many litres of oil in a 20' / 40' container?

In brief. A 20' container carries about 22,000 L of olive oil in a flexitank, 20,000 L in IBC (20 × 1,000 L) or 8,000 to 8,640 L in drums (40 × 200-216 L). Litres are converted into weight using the density 0.913 kg/L: it is often the gross weight, not the volume, that limits the load. A 40' increases the number of IBCs/drums, but the flexitank in principle goes in a 20'.

The question comes up at every bulk quotation: how many litres, and therefore how many kilos, really fit in a container? Getting it wrong means under-filling (loss of cost per tonne) or overloading (refusal at loading). Here are the capacities by packaging and the calculation method.

How many litres of olive oil in a 20' container?

A standard 20' container holds about 22,000 L of olive oil in a flexitank (one per container), 20,000 L in IBC (20 tanks of 1,000 L) or 8,000 to 8,640 L in drums (40 drums of 200 to 216 L). The flexitank offers the greatest capacity and the lowest cost per tonne.

The choice of packaging therefore sets the capacity even before talking about weight. Detail of the three formats in the transport & packaging guide.

The table of capacities per container

Indicative benchmarks for bulk olive oil departing from Tunisia, in a standard 20' container. To be confirmed depending on the freight forwarder and palletization.

Packaging	Volume / 20'	Net oil weight (≈ ×0.913)
Flexitank	~22,000 L	≈ 20,086 kg
IBC (20 × 1,000 L)	20,000 L	≈ 18,260 kg
Drums (40 × 200-216 L)	8,000-8,640 L	≈ 7,304-7,888 kg

July 2026 data, to be confirmed with your freight forwarder. Calculate your exact load with the packing calculator.

The 0.913 density: converting litres into kilos

Direct answer: 1 litre of olive oil weighs about 0.913 kg — oil is lighter than water. To move from litres to weight, multiply the volume by 0.913. Thus a 22,000 L flexitank weighs ≈ 20,086 kg of net oil. This conversion is essential to check the container's payload.

This density serves three purposes:

• convert a price €/kg ↔ €/L in a quotation;
• estimate the net weight of a flexitank, an IBC or a drum;
• verify that the permissible payload of the container is not exceeded (oil + packaging + pallets).

Bulk is quoted by net weight. A "22,000 litres" announcement says nothing until it is translated into kilos to compare it with the container's weight limit.

Why gross weight prevails over volume

A container can be full in volume but overloaded in weight — or the opposite. With palletized IBCs or drums, the payload in kg is often reached before the whole space is filled. It is the gross weight (oil + tanks/drums + pallets) that decides what actually ships.

The flexitank, for its part, fills the volume of the 20' with a single homogeneous lot, without pallets: this is what gives it the best cost per tonne, provided it is filled almost to capacity.

Seller / exporter side: quote by net weight and check the payload before confirming. A container "full in litres" can be refused at loading for excess weight.

And in a 40' container?

A 40' does not mechanically double the oil capacity. It carries more IBCs and drums depending on palletization and permissible gross weight, but remains often limited by weight, not by space. The flexitank in principle goes in a dedicated 20', not in a 40'.

In other words: for large single-lot volume, multiply the 20' flexitank containers; for IBCs/drums, the 40' can make sense if the weight allows it.

Do the exact litres ↔ kg calculation, by format and by container size, with the packing calculator, then cost the landed price with the export cost calculator. Also compare the export formats.

FAQ

How many litres of olive oil in a 20' container?

About 22,000 L in a flexitank (1 per 20'), 20,000 L in IBC (20 × 1,000 L) or 8,000 to 8,640 L in drums (40 × 200-216 L). Convert into weight with the density 0.913 kg/L to check the payload, or use the packing calculator.

What is the density of olive oil?

About 0.913 kg/L: 1 litre weighs ≈ 0.913 kg (oil is lighter than water). This value lets you convert a price €/kg ↔ €/L, estimate the net weight of a flexitank/IBC/drum and check that the container's payload is not exceeded.

How much does a flexitank full of olive oil weigh?

A flexitank of ~22,000 L contains ≈ 20,086 kg of net oil (22,000 × 0.913). It is this value, and not the volume, that must be compared with the container's payload to avoid overloading at loading.

Does a 40' carry twice as much oil as a 20'?

No. A 40' carries more IBCs and drums depending on palletization, but it is often limited by gross weight before volume. The flexitank in principle goes in a dedicated 20', not in a 40'.

Why convert litres into kilos before quoting?

Because bulk is measured by weight and the limit of a container is a payload in kg. A container can be full in litres but overloaded in weight. The conversion (×0.913) avoids a refusal at loading and a margin error.

Which packaging offers the greatest capacity per container?

The flexitank (~22,000 L per 20') ahead of the IBC (20,000 L) and the drums (8,000-8,640 L). The flexitank also offers the lowest cost per tonne as soon as the lot is large and homogeneous.

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Need a quotation by format and by container? Request a quote — we cost your load (litres, net weight, landed cost) according to your incoterm. Full method in the transport & packaging guide.

July 2026 data, indicative and to be re-verified before any commitment. Olive oil density ≈ 0.913 kg/L; container capacities according to logistics practices and palletization.