U.S., Jan. 9 -- CONSOL Energy has made an initial investment in the coal-to-products space by acquiring a 25% equity interest in CFOAM Corp.

CFOAM has manufacturing facilities in Triadelphia, West Virginiawhere it produces high-performance carbon foam products from coal and focuses on meeting demand for high-grade materials in the industrial, aerospace, military and commercial product markets.

"This is our first major step in the coal-to-products area, which leverages certain attractive properties of coal but with significantly lower emissions and greater value uplift potential than conventional combustion applications. These products not only provide a high-margin revenue stream but also provide an intriguing new opportunity to utilize...