Wales to lose A landfill site in Newport, Wales, that has been the focus of a decade-long battle over a lost hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin is reportedly set to close in the 2025-26 financial year.

A Newport council spokesperson confirmed that the site, which has been in use since the early 2000s, is nearing the end of its operational life, BBC News reported on Feb. 9.

“The council is working on a planned closure and capping of the site over the next two years,” they stated.

Solar Farm Project Approved for Former UK Landfill Site

Plans are already in motion to repurpose part of the land, with approval granted for a solar farm in August.

The landfill gained notoriety due to James Howells, a local IT worker who claims that his former partner mistakenly discarded a hard drive in 2013, unaware that it contained 8,000 BTC he had mined in 2009.

With Bitcoin currently trading at around $96,000, the lost stash would now be worth approximately $768 million

Howells fought a prolonged legal battle with Newport City Council, seeking permission to excavate the site in an effort to recover the drive.

He reportedly offered the council a share of the Bitcoin if successful, or compensation if denied the opportunity to search.

However, a judge dismissed his case in January, ruling that there was “no realistic prospect” of success at trial.

Despite Howells’ insistence that AI-driven technology could pinpoint the hard drive without disrupting the landfill, the council has consistently rejected excavation proposals.