# Mechanical power transmission: Geopolitics and regulation

Efficiency drives, urban cable cars and lessons from Stresa

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/geopolitics/

What this tab covers Political and regulatory forces that help (tailwinds) or hinder (headwinds) this way of moving energy, dated.

Mechanical transmission raises few cross-border issues; the main forces are energy-efficiency policy, safety regulation after accidents, and city transport planning for ropeways.

#### Tailwinds
**Efficiency guidance for industry** 2012-2026

US government programmes promote synchronous belts and leak repair; Compressed Air Challenge fact sheets were revised in May 2026.^[1](https://www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/tech_assistance/pdfs/replace_vbelts_motor_systemts5.pdf)^[3](https://www.compressedairchallenge.org/data/sites/1/media/library/factsheets2026/fact-sheet-7-compressed-air-system-leaks_updated2026.pdf)
**Large national savings potential** 2012

Fluid power uses about 2 to 3% of US energy (calculated) at about 22% average efficiency, making it a target for efficiency research.^[2](https://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/files/pub28014.pdf)
**Urban ropeway uptake** 2017

By 2017 the World Bank counted 25 urban cable car projects in 14 cities, starting with Medellín in 2004.^[7](https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/transport/innovation-air-using-cable-cars-urban-transport)
**Growing ropeway orders** 2025-2026

Doppelmayr revenue rose 9.1% to about EUR 1.3 billion in 2025/26, helped by an urban ropeway in Paris, and HTI Group turnover rose 15.8% to EUR 1.622 billion in 2025.^[9](https://www.news.at/ausflugsziele/doppelmayr-umsatz-wuchs-202526-auf-13-mrd-euro)^[16](https://www.leitwind.com/en/hti-group-a-year-of-results-and-investments/)

#### Headwinds
**Safety failures and prosecutions** 2021-2025

The Stresa-Mottarone cabin fell on 23 May 2021, killing 14. Court experts found about 68% of the haul rope's wires at its cast-head joint already broken by fatigue and corrosion, and that forks fitted to the cabin had stopped the emergency brakes working. In September 2025 a Verbania judge accepted plea bargains of 3 years 10 months to 4 years 11 months for the owner, operations director and service chief.^[27](https://www.ilgiorno.it/varese/cronaca/strage-funivia-mottarone-processo-tribunale-verbania-assoluzione-dliaktfe)^[28](https://www.unionesarda.it/en/italy/mottarone-disaster-quot-68-of-the-rope-was-already-corroded-before-the-tragedyquot-bhvlgoeg)
**Financial risk of urban ropeways** 2017

Rio de Janeiro's system was suspended indefinitely because of financial trouble.^[7](https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/transport/innovation-air-using-cable-cars-urban-transport)
**Electricity displaced city networks** 1977-1995

London's hydraulic network closed in 1977 and Paris's compressed-air network was abandoned in 1995, according to the City of Paris.^[4](https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap28550/london-hydraulic-power-company)^[5](https://www.paris.fr/evenements/victor-popp-et-l-horlogerie-pneumatique-a-paris-98573)

No sanctions, chokepoints or trade disputes specific to this tile were found. Ropeways are regulated as passenger transport and need public planning approval for cabins passing over homes. Supplier ownership is shifting: Danfoss bought Eaton's hydraulics arm in 2021 and Flender is being sold to Triton in 2026.

#### Sources

1. [Replace V-belts with notched or synchronous belt drives (Motor Systems Tip Sheet #5)](https://www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/tech_assistance/pdfs/replace_vbelts_motor_systemts5.pdf) US Department of Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office, 2012
2. [Estimating the Impact (Energy, Emissions and Economics) of the U.S. Fluid Power Industry (ORNL/TM-2011/14), Love, Lanke and Alles](https://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/files/pub28014.pdf) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2012
3. [Compressed Air System Leaks (Improving Compressed Air System Performance, Fact Sheet #7, Rev. 1)](https://www.compressedairchallenge.org/data/sites/1/media/library/factsheets2026/fact-sheet-7-compressed-air-system-leaks_updated2026.pdf) Compressed Air Challenge, 2026
4. [London Hydraulic Power Company](https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap28550/london-hydraulic-power-company) Science Museum Group Collection, 2025
5. [Victor Popp et l'horlogerie pneumatique à Paris](https://www.paris.fr/evenements/victor-popp-et-l-horlogerie-pneumatique-a-paris-98573) Ville de Paris, 2024
6. [Innovation in the air: using cable cars for urban transport](https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/transport/innovation-air-using-cable-cars-urban-transport) World Bank (Transport blog), 2017
7. [Doppelmayr: Umsatz wuchs 2025/26 auf 1,3 Mrd. Euro](https://www.news.at/ausflugsziele/doppelmayr-umsatz-wuchs-202526-auf-13-mrd-euro) APA (Austria Presse Agentur) via news.at, 2026
8. [HTI Group: a year of results and investments](https://www.leitwind.com/en/hti-group-a-year-of-results-and-investments/) Leitwind (HTI Group), 2026
9. [Strage della funivia del Mottarone: tre patteggiamenti e due proscioglimenti](https://www.ilgiorno.it/varese/cronaca/strage-funivia-mottarone-processo-tribunale-verbania-assoluzione-dliaktfe) Il Giorno, 2025
10. [Mottarone disaster: 68% of the rope was already corroded before the tragedy](https://www.unionesarda.it/en/italy/mottarone-disaster-quot-68-of-the-rope-was-already-corroded-before-the-tragedyquot-bhvlgoeg) L'Unione Sarda, 2022

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/correlation/index.md)
- [How it works](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/explain/index.md)
- [Efficiency and losses](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/efficiency/index.md)
- [Technology advances](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/advances/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/valuechain/index.md)
- [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/economics/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_mechanical_transmission/links/index.md)