Thousands of construction workers could be employed next year to begin constructing a new biorefinery plant in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

“That should be happening soon,” said Brian Buckta, SynSel Energy senior vice-president administration. “Ontonagon will be one of the first, if not the first.”

SynSel Energy Inc., of Elmhurst, Illinois, chose Ontonagon as one of two U.S. sites to build advanced biofuels plants that will produce synthetic gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels the company sells in commodities markets.