Abstract: Nickel is recovered from a nickeliferous ore, where the ore includes impurities in the form of metals other than nickel and cobalt. The ore is subjected to atmospheric leaching using sulphuric acid to dissolve nickel and cobalt from the ore and produce a leach liquor. The sulphuric acid is regenerated by rapidly heating the leach liquor to a temperature in excess of 120° C. to produce a slurry including sulphuric acid and precipitated oxides of impurities present in the leach liquor, and separating the precipitated oxides from the slurry to produce a clarified acid rich liquor stream for recycle to leaching.