SIRHEX—A new experimental facility for high heat flux testing of plasma facing components

•Commercial infrared heaters have been qualified for future First Wall experiments.•In first tests surface heat flux densities up to 470kW/m were achieved.•The homogeneity of the heat distribution stayed within ±5% of the nominal value.•With the heaters a typical ITER pulse can be reproduced.•An adequate testing strategy will be required to improve heater lifetime.