MAHD of fresh waste citrus peel has been proved to be an effective alternative method for the extraction of essential oils from the low value by-products of the fruit processing industry. It has been demonstrated that MAHD presents distinct advantages for the fast and reproducible production process of essential oil whilst significantly reducing the energy and solvent consumption related to conventional production methods. During its development different features affecting the upscaling process have been considered to offer an attractive process for extractions at industrial scale: i) no drying of the feedstock is necessary, ii) no additives are required, and iii) extraction conditions could be chosen based on the energy efficiency of the microwave technology. As a result, a short irradiation time at a high power, using the minimum amount of additional water, was found to be required for an efficient extraction of the oil. Under these conditions the yields and composition of oils extracted from different citrus fruits were comparable to those reported in the literature using different approaches. Although a detailed cost-benefit analysis is required to further assess the economic practicability of the suggested methodology, these results could be of great significance to maximise process profitability. In any case, the applicability of the MAHD technology for citrus highlights its potential to be used to process other waste feedstocks and could help establish reliable guidelines for the development of an industrial scale facility.